Magic
by Thine Dreamer Doth Take Flight
Summary: Takes place after A New Beginning. The dragons are in need of strong allies. Maybe this mysterious white dragon that Spyro meets one fateful night might help them. Problem is, the Dark Master is sure to be after her.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my first attempt at a __**The Legend of Spyro**__ story. Kinda messes with the storyline a little, for it takes place after __**A New Beginning**__ but it's not exactly during __**Eternal Night.**__ We'll see how good it is just from this one chapter. Please read on.

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**Magic**

Chapter 1

It was only a matter of time until the darkness came back to attack them. They had to be ready, every single one of them, for the battles ahead. The war against the Dark Master was far from over; in fact, it had only just begun. Sure, they had Cynder on their side now as Spyro had rescued her, but with only six dragons and an annoying dragonfly, where did that leave them? The armies of the Dark Master were greater in number, even if they were just a bunch of apes. In great numbers they could easily take out the dragons one by one. What they needed were allies…powerful allies that could make even the Dark Master quiver in its presence.

But where could one find such an ally? Surely there weren't any other dragons alive anymore, not with the Dark Master's forces and with what Cynder had done during her evil days. Surely the Guardians and Spyro and Cynder were the last of their kind. But there was no way of knowing unless they looked. Even so, no one could go off on their own with the apes on the loose, just waiting for them to make their move.

What were they to do?

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A young purple dragon was wandering the halls of the great Dragon Temple, accompanied by a golden dragonfly that was like a brother to him. It was night and he knew he really shouldn't be up at this hour, but sleep was impossible for him…especially with those dreams he'd been having recently. His dragonfly companion couldn't sleep, either. He was too worried that Cynder would go all evil again and kill them while they slumbered. She had done no such thing ever since coming to the Temple, but the dragonfly was overreacting as always.

"I'm telling you, Spyro. One of these days she's going to snap and get all large again. Then it'll be the end of us with one foul swoop of her tail and a few strikes from her claws," the dragonfly stated.

"Stop worrying, Sparx. She isn't going to kill us. When she did try, she was being used by the Dark Master. I think you really need to give her a break," Spyro remarked, glaring at his bug friend out of the corner of his eye as he continued to walk.

"Okay, sure, yeah. I'll give her a break…when apes fly! A break's all she needs to get us offguard. You can fall victim to her claws if you want. I'm not falling for any of her tricks ever. She may think she's got me fooled, but I'm not as foolish as you dragons. I can see right through deception. Just you wait. You'll see in time that I am right and that you dragons are too blind to see when someone's fooling you," Sparx boasted.

"…Do you like the sound of your own voice or something?" Spyro asked.

"No! Well, actually, it doesn't sound that bad…So yes, yes I do," Sparx replied.

Spyro rolled his eyes as the doors in front of him opened. Sparx could be so annoying sometimes, but that was Sparx. Always talking, never listening, thinking he knew everything and everyone else was clueless. But he was Spyro's brother, so what could he do but endure the dragonfly's ego?

He walked out onto the balcony that Ignitus had shown him when they had first come to the Temple. All the eye could see was a mushroom forest and a river, nothing more. It looked like a normal, peaceful night, like all the nights had been since Cynder had been defeated and the portal that would have released the Dark Master had been stopped. There had been no sign of the Dark Master's forces for some time now. But no one was so ignorant as to think there wouldn't be any more attacks. The Dark Master's forces were only regrouping, preparing, waiting for the right moment.

"Hey, Spyro. Why are we out here? It's dark and I'm not particularly fond of the dark," Sparx muttered.

"I have no idea why you're out here, but I was just looking to make sure we aren't about to be attacked by some unspeakable evil," Spyro told him.

"Hey, I go where you go. Somebody's got to look after you. If it weren't for me, you would have been dead long ago," Sparx claimed.

"Yeah? And when have you saved my life?" Spyro wanted to know.

"Right now! Spyro, look out!" Sparx exclaimed.

Spyro glanced up at the sky just in time to move out of the way of a bomb. It had been dropped by a dread-wing, a bat-like creature that worked for the Dark Master. From the smoke appeared a bunch of apes, agents of the Dark Master. There were other explosions around them and before Spyro knew it he was surrounded by the enemy.

His powers still hadn't returned from his fight against Cynder, but he could still fight. He just wouldn't be able to use the elements. His normal attacks would do enough damage on their own. Besides, all that noise would have been enough for the others to have awoken. He would just have to hold them off until the other dragons could reach him. Spyro mainly just knocked them off the side of the balcony with his horns, letting them fall to their deaths, but if that was impossible, he would just knock the hell out of them.

An explosion from one of the bigger ones knocked Spyro off his feet long enough for about a dozen apes to pounce on him. He tried to fight them off but was unable due to their combined weight. He growled, wishing that he could tap into the elements for just a little while. Sparx yelled at the apes and tried everything to distract them, but he failed because one of the apes not on Spyro hit him and made him fall unconscious. Spyro continued to struggle even when it became painfully obvious he couldn't escape. One of the apes drew his blade and came close to Spyro, looking like he might behead the young dragon so that the prophecy wouldn't come to pass and the Dark Master would be free.

Just when it looked like the end for Spyro, a mighty roar shook the air, gaining the attention of apes and Spyro alike. A white dragon that bore resemblance to evil Cynder in size and shape was flying overhead, scales sparkling like diamonds in the moonlight. The scales of its underbelly and chest were light blue, nearly blending in with its diamond-like coloring. Its cobalt eyes were narrowed at the apes about to kill Spyro, and immediately the apes knew they were in trouble. The dragon roared again, and this time when it turned its face to them fire emerged and sent them to their deaths.

Spyro staggered to his feet as the dragon landed beside him. It folded its beautiful white wings and lowered its head as to be on even ground with the purple dragon when it came to inspections.

"Are you hurt?" The voice was feminine and sweet yet strong at the same time.

He shook his head. "Just…minor injuries. I got out better than I could have, thanks to you. Who are you, anyway?"

"That will be revealed in time, young one. Just know this. The Dark Master's forces are on the move and this attack will be the first of many. Let the Guardians know to be on their guard. And you must be careful as well. Your powers are still dormant from that end-of-the-world battle. We wouldn't want to lose our last hope," the white dragon said. "I must be gone now."

The white dragon flapped her wings and took to the air again. Dread-wings made their appearance at that moment, but she made short work of them with her fiery attacks. Spyro watched her fly off into the night, wondering who she was and why she had just suddenly appeared.

Sparx came to himself and struggled to fly over to Spyro's side, holding his aching head in his hands. He saw the white dragon flying away and thought he was crazy for a moment or that he had really hit his head too hard and this was all some crazy way of dying and going to heaven.

"No, Sparx. You're alive and not crazy. She really was here. She saved my life," Spyro told his dragonfly brother.

"Really? I missed that beautiful dragon kicking those stupid apes' asses? Damn, why did they have to knock me out? That would have been so great to witness!" Sparx whined.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so annoying, they wouldn't have had reason to knock you out and you would have gotten to meet her," Spyro pointed out.

"Hey! I was trying to save your life…for the second time tonight! My annoying tactics weren't enough this time, but at least that beautiful white babe came to save the day…or night. She seems to be way better than Cynder will ever be," Sparx remarked. "What is her name, anyway?"

"I don't know. She didn't tell me. All she said was that who she was would be revealed in time. I guess that means we'll be seeing her again."

It was at this moment that the Guardians and Cynder decided to make their appearance. They emerged from the Temple, ready to fight, only to be let down by the lack of enemies. They all looked at Spyro, who bore only a few scratches and bruises from his fight and nothing more, wondering what had just happened.

"Spyro, what happened out here? It sounded like there was an attack," the red dragon Guardian said, scrutinizing the purple dragon.

"There was, Ignitus. I kinda took care of it…for the most part," Spyro murmured.

"What do you mean, for the most part? Either you did take care of it or you didn't take care of it, which would mean that there are still apes running around and we could all be in danger and we could be attacked without warning and then no one would be able to stand against the Dark Master," the yellow dragon stated, speaking very quickly.

"Calm yourself, Volteer. Surely Spyro had an explanation for his words," the blue one said, a pompous tone in his voice. "Now Spyro, please explain yourself. What do you mean you took care of it for the most part?"

"Well, Cyril, when they first attacked, I was handling them just fine. But then one of them got me with dynamite and I was overcome by the enemy. They were just about to kill me when she saved me," Spyro explained.

"Who? Cynder? She couldn't have saved you. She was in the Temple with us when we heard the explosions," Cyril pointed out.

"It wasn't Cynder. It was another dragon…A white one about the size that Cynder was when she was being used by the Dark Master, with horns as long as my wingspan. She came and saved my life from the apes and destroyed the dread-wings that followed. Then she just left like nothing had ever happened," Spyro told them.

"A white dragon…" the green one muttered, seeming familiar with the type.

"I don't believe it, either, Terrador. White dragons are even rarer than purple dragons, born once every twenty generations. How could one have saved Spyro's life when there aren't any left?" Volteer asked. "Surely the boy is lying to cover something up."

"No he's not. I saw her, too," Sparx put in.

"And you would just as easily lie, so your words cannot be accounted for," Cyril stated.

"No. They aren't lying. It is possible for a white dragon to still be alive and out in the world, I know for sure there is a possibility. Do not knock their story just yet. There may be some truth to it," Terrador remarked, gaining the glances of his fellow dragons.

"How do you know this, Terrador?" Ignitus inquired.

"In the year that Spyro was still an egg and when all the other eggs were still untouched by the Dark Master's army, we also had the egg of a white dragon. You were unaware of its existence, as I hid it where even you could not find it…where it would be safe if the Dark Master's forces came to destroy the egg of the purple dragon. If you had seen it you would have known; the egg sparkled in the light as if it was made of diamond. When the Dark Master's forces came…and all the eggs save three were smashed, I took the egg out. I hid it in what remained of a shattered egg- I know it sounds horrible, but I had no choice- so that no one would be attracted to it, and I let the river take it to where it was destined to go. I knew nothing of its fate. I even thought that the Dark Master had found the white dragon and had Cynder kill it while she was under his influence. But apparently, I was wrong."

"Terrador, why did you hide her from us? We could have protected her like we did Spyro. I can't believe you've been keeping this secret," Ignitus said.

"I had no choice. If the Dark Master had discovered we had the egg of a white dragon, he would have sent his forces to destroy all the eggs and would have used her instead of Cynder to prevent the prophecy. Had that happened, not only would Cynder have never been born, but Spyro would be dead. We all would be dead," Terrador told them.

"I don't understand. What's a white dragon? And if she's the same age as me and Cynder, then why is she the same size as Cynder was when she was evil?" Spyro asked.

"It's not because she's evil. She wouldn't have saved you if she was. I know I wouldn't have when I was possessed," Cynder, the black dragon with red scales on her underbelly and chest, muttered.

"Cynder's right; she could not be possessed by the Dark Master. But in order to understand why she appears larger than you, you must understand the powers of a white dragon. They are not ordinary. They make the rest of the dragons look weak and powerless in comparison, and their only competition in the ranks of power are the purple dragons. I have never known a white dragon in my time; all my knowledge comes from stories passed down through the generations from the times of our ancestors," Ignitus explained.

"White dragons can master all the elements, just like purple dragons, and they can manipulate time. In fact, they can even stop time for the rest of the world and continue to move around without being affected by the time freeze themselves. But the one thing that really makes white dragons different from the rest of us is that they are masters of illusion. They can use magic to make things appear different than they really are. This is an intimidation tactic, of course, and it has proven effective in the past during wars. The white dragon you encountered tonight was probably using her illusion magic to intimidate the Dark Master's forces and that is why she seemed so much larger than you.

"There hasn't been a white dragon for so long. We all thought the stories we had heard were greatly exaggerated tales of a purple dragon. But now…with this new information about the existence of one, my skepticism is gone. All that remains in its wake…is fear and a dull hope that we might be able to fight against the Dark Master's forces and win."

"You have the right to be afraid, Ignitus. When the Dark Master hears about the existence of a white dragon near the Temple, he will be sure to send his armies to capture her. And even with her abilities, she will most certainly be caught. If that happens, then the dragon race is doomed to perish," Cyril gloomily remarked.

"Then we need to beat him to finding her. We need to look for her ourselves and get her to stay with us for her own safety. And if the Dark Master's forces do come poking their noses around here, then we can kick their asses and not have anything to worry about. I mean, it sounds like she would be a very reliable ally in comparison to Cynder. In fact, if that white dragon's on our side, the Dark Master won't be able to do anything to beat us down. We'll be virtually unstoppable! Woo!" Sparx exclaimed.

Cynder and Spyro glared at the dragonfly for his comment about her not being a reliable ally. He just played dumb and pretended like he didn't know why they were looking at him like that.

"Unfortunately, Sparx is right. We must locate this white dragon quickly if we want to ensure that the Dark Master doesn't acquire her as a weapon. But it is dark and I believe finding even someone who shines like she is made of diamond would be hard at this time of night. It'll have to wait until morning. Besides, she could live anywhere with her ability to stop time. Traveling for her would take her a couple of minutes while covering the same distance might take us days," Volteer stated with lightning speed.

"If she wanted to be found, she would come to us herself," Terrador grumbled. "Spyro, did she tell you anything useful before she left?"

"Not really. All she said was to be on our guard because this attack would be the first of many. And she knew that my powers were dormant and that I should be careful," Spyro replied, still unsure as to how she knew about his powers and his end-of-the-world battle with Cynder.

"She seems to have been watching us this whole time," Terrador murmured.

"Well, there will be plenty of time to figure this all out in the morning. I suggest we head inside and get some rest before there are any other attacks. We wouldn't want Spyro to be hurt again. He is our last hope," Ignitus mumbled, heading back towards the Temple with the others right behind him.

That same night, Spyro met the Chronicler and learned to manipulate time, relearning the element of fire along the way. It was all like a dream…

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_A/N: Told you I would mess with the storyline. Anyways, what did you think? Is it worth continuing? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks to the two people who have reviewed. I have nothing much to say right now, so let's hop to it. Please read on.

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Chapter 2

The next morning, the dragons gathered in the room with the pool of water that Ignitus could use to see visions. There was much to discuss, but mostly there were just questions lacking answers. Luckily, the Temple had been quiet and there wasn't any sign of the Dark Master's forces, so they could talk without fear that something might happen to them. Cynder was acting strangely, but not in any way that might suggest she would turn evil again. She just refused to look Spyro's way, which he found odd but said nothing about. If she really wanted to talk about it, she would do it when she was ready.

"There are two matters of which we must deal with. First is these attacks on the Temple. We must figure out why the Dark Master's forces have suddenly decided to attack now and destroy whatever plan they have this time. Second is the white dragon. I believe these two matters are connected in some way, for it seems an unlikely coincidence that there would be an attack on the Temple the same night she revealed herself to the world. We will have to find a way to locate her and discover why her sudden appearance," Ignitus stated.

"Perhaps both matters deal with the Night of Eternal Darkness. The Celestial Moons are nearly at an eclipse. Maybe those apes believe they could somehow use that night of darkness to bring back the very creature we don't want to return," Cyril suggested.

"Yes, but then again there might be a different reason for these things. The Year of the Dragon occurs every fifteen years (actually, I have no clue about this; just go with me). It has nearly been that long since Spyro, Cynder, and this white dragon were sent on their paths. Perhaps the Dark Master wants to come after us to eliminate the chances of a dragon revival and the white dragon doesn't want that to happen. After all, there could be other females of our kind still alive. They lived on a different island than ours," Volteer pointed out.

"Or the Dark Master's forces know of the white dragon's existence and wish to prevent us from ever meeting. They know that having a white dragon would make us stronger and they would do anything to see that never happen. So they'll try to kill us so she can't come to us again…or if all else fails, they'll try to kill her," Terrador muttered.

"…These are all valid reasons, but there's only one way to discover the truth. Cyril, you and Volteer fly to the mainland and the other islands to find out what you can about the Dark Master's forces and the white dragon. Terrador, you and Spyro follow the river and try to find where the white dragon's egg could have been found. I shall stay here and protect the Temple in case there are any more attacks. The white dragon herself said there would be many more attacks to come, and we must be prepared for the worst," Ignitus said.

"…And what should I do, Ignitus?" Cynder asked, as he hadn't told her.

"Well, Cynder. That decision is for you to make. You can go with Cyril and Volteer, you can stay here with me, or you can go with Terrador and Spyro. I have no control over your decision," Ignitus told her.

"I'll go with…Spyro, I suppose," Cynder murmured, not looking at the purple dragon as she did so.

"Is it wise to leave you here alone? If the Dark Master's forces attack, you could be killed," Terrador remarked.

"I will be fine. Just hurry to find her. We might not have much time left if any of your reasons are correct, and if we fail to find her it could mean the end of the dragons. Don't worry about me; there are more important things than my safety," Ignitus grumbled. "Now go. We've wasted enough time already."

The dragons split up, with Cyril and Volteer flying towards the mainland and Spyro, Terrador, Cynder, and Sparx walking towards the river. And, of course, Ignitus remaining within the Temple. Sparx looked absolutely peeved to be traveling with Cynder, but one look from Spyro and he was silent. The black dragon didn't even seem fazed by what Sparx was saying about her, but that was only because something else was on her mind.

The river wasn't too far from the Temple, but they wouldn't reach it for some time. Mostly, they walked in silence except for Sparx, who would find something new to talk about every five minutes. He was just ranting to thin air, though; no one paid him any heed because they were used to him just talking to hear himself talk. Terrador was too preoccupied by the thought of the white dragon to even roll his eyes at the golden dragonfly's excessive talking. He had always had hope that the egg had found safety and the dragon would have grown to be a beautiful, powerful dragon that could put an end to the war against the Dark Master's forces. Of course, that hope had dwindled with the years, but it had never completely died. Now Spyro's news that she was alive had made him feel two things: absolute joy and absolute fear. Joy because she had survived…fear because she could be killed soon.

_I mustn't let anything befall her. She is mine to protect just like she was when she was nothing more than an egg. She's made it this far. I will get her the rest of the way,_ Terrador thought, his tail with the blunt end swinging back at just the right moment to hit the chattering Sparx in the head, granting everyone a moment of silence.

"…Cynder, are you all right?" Spyro inquired. He was finally expressing his concern for the black dragon as he couldn't take her quietness anymore.

"…What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine…" Cynder lied.

"Cynder, you can't lie to me. There's something wrong, and you're going to tell me what it is if I have to wait all day," Spyro stated. "So you might as well get it over with unless you want me to stare at you forever."

The black dragon sighed. "It's nothing, really. Mere jealousy and a feeling that I don't belong. That's all. Nothing important like a white dragon."

"Ooh, that was so sarcastic!" Sparx pointed out.

"Sparx, shut it. Cynder, I don't get it. Why are you jealous? Why do you feel like you don't belong? We're all equal in this fight against the Dark Master. And you're a dragon. You belong with us, with your kind. If anyone doesn't belong, it's Sparx," Spyro remarked.

"Ooh, that was so lying!" Sparx exclaimed.

"You're wrong, Spyro. We're not all equal in this fight against the Dark Master. You're more powerful, more special than the rest of us…including me. The Guardians are much stronger than me in all forms…melee, elements, wits, you name it. Even Sparx has power. True, his is just power of the mouth and is over-used, but still it's something. Me… I have nothing. All I can do is manipulate people's fears…what good is that? I don't fit in with people who have been good their whole life. I fit in with monsters. Everyone is afraid of me…everyone fears me."

"Ooh, that was so true!" Sparx shouted.

"Well, I'm not afraid of you. I haven't feared you in a long time."

"But you feared me once. That is enough."

"I was only afraid because that was my first encounter with you and you were dead set on killing me. But every other time I've seen you…I've only felt one thing, and it isn't fear."

"Ooh, what a loser!" Sparx yelled.

"…Really? Then what do you feel when you see me?"

"I can't say."

Cynder sighed and looked away from Spyro again. "Of course you can't. It's because the white dragon is here and you don't want to risk her hearing you."

"Ooh, you walked right into that one!"

"Sparx, shut up!" Cynder, Spyro, and Terrador boomed, finally tired of his outbursts.

"Oh, I see where this all came from. You think that I like the white dragon. That's not it at all, Cynder. I just met her last night. She saved my life. If it wasn't for her I'd be dead right now. But even so, I don't love her. I cannot love someone I don't know. All I feel for her is gratitude. That's it," Spyro told her.

Cynder snorted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"You two argue like a married couple," Terrador grumbled, smiling silently to himself.

The younger dragons just stared at him like he was the craziest dragon on the face of the planet. Upon seeing their glances, Terrador chuckled lightheartedly as if he knew an inside joke they'd never get.

"Well, he does have a point. You guys are arguing like you're married," Sparx agreed.

"We do not!" Spyro and Cynder exclaimed in unison. They glared at each other upon hearing their synchronized voices. "You stop that right now! No, you stop! This isn't helping us one bit, you know! And yet you continue to say things at the same time as me! Now they're going to say things again!"

"I cannot believe you two are getting this worked up about a white dragon we don't even know yet. It's like you are married and Cynder's accusing you of wanting another. It's so humorous and trivial, yet it's so much like dragons your age. I remember those days, but for me they were so long ago. I'm beginning to think there's something going on between the two of you that you don't feel like admitting to yourselves or each other," Terrador said with a grin.

"Whoa! There's nothing going on with Spyro and that demon! He's got much better taste in girls!" Sparx shouted, defending his brother. "Besides, even if he did feel something, she has no heart to return it. She's darkness, remember?"

"Sparx, that isn't even the slightest bit funny," Spyro muttered.

"I thought it was rather humorous myself," Sparx shot back. "Maybe you don't understand just what funny is. Hell, you wouldn't know funny even if it danced around in front of you with a sign that screamed it was funny."

"And that made no sense," Cynder grumbled.

"Perhaps it would be better if you kept your mouth shut," Terrador suggested, as he knew Sparx was a few seconds away from being hurt by the younger dragons.

Reluctantly, Sparx restrained himself from making snide comments even when opportunity presented itself. It was hard, but he managed to keep himself quiet by biting his tongue so much that it hurt. The group continued on their way to the river, which was now right upon them. For without them being aware of it, time had flown by and they were already where they needed to be.

Terrador knew the river could have dropped the egg off at a number of places with its multiple twists and turns, but if it had managed not to get caught on any bends in the river it would have floated out to the ocean and would have found its way to one of the islands. There was no way of knowing where the egg had come to rest without searching for the white dragon herself. It would take time to search the entire area around the river, but it might be done quicker if they split up.

There was no getting around it; they would have to go their separate ways.

He told the others where they needed to go, splitting the mushroom forests around the river up into three sections for them to scour. If they found the white dragon, they were to send an elemental shot into the air for the others to see, and this was only hoping that the Dark Master's forces weren't around to see it. If she didn't reside near the river and had in fact made it to one of the islands, they would meet back at this place and head out to the ocean to look for her. To make sure no one mistook another place for this place near the river, Terrador made a big X in the dirt with his claws. Then they split up.

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Spyro searched high and low for any sign of the white dragon that he had met last night, knowing that soon he would come across the place he had called home and see his parents again. Near the river was the swamp in which both he and Sparx had been born unto a dragonfly family, where for the longest time Spyro had believed himself to be an overly large dragonfly that couldn't fly. He hadn't seen his mother or father ever since he set off to find where he belonged…where creatures like him lived. He wondered what their reencounter would be like. What stories he would have to tell about who he really was and what he was destined to do. That is, if Sparx didn't make the light shine on him and forget to mention a thing about his brother.

When it became apparent that the white dragon wasn't anywhere near him, he headed back in the direction in which he knew the swamp was. Sparx realized where they were going almost instantly and his face brightened. As he put it, "Mommy always knows how to make things better." No doubt seeing her would make him forget about all the evil that was falling down on them. They were so happy to see their parents again that they didn't think anything could be wrong.

But when they got to the swamp, they found the place infested with the Dark Master's forces. Spyro and Sparx quickly hid in the tall weeds and watched in horror as the apes moved about, desecrating the place that had been their home. All the dragonflies in the area, creatures they had once called friend, were captured and being used as lanterns despite how bright it was that day. Among those dragonflies were their parents… somewhere.

They couldn't just sit there. They had to save the swamp. But they were greatly outnumbered and some of the weapons the apes were using seemed potentially lethal on Spyro's part. Besides, the purple dragon could only use fire at the moment. He would have to do a Fury and then some to take out all these guys. Would he be able to take them and win?

He had no choice; his parents depended on him.

Without another thought, Spyro charged into battle. He used the purple dragon's ability to slow down time to catch the Dark Master's forces offguard and killed some of them before his ability reached its limit and everything returned to normal. He put his fire to its full use and singed them, turning them into a pile of ash. He was careful to avoid the lanterns with the trapped dragonflies in them as he didn't want to singe them as well. Sparx worked quickly to free his fellow bugs, actually being useful for once. They were told to take cover because Spyro was about to do a Fury move that could be dangerous to them. And they obliged, happy to be free again.

When the last of the lanterns had been emptied, Spyro did a Fire Fury, eliminating the last of the Dark Master's forces in the area save one small one he wanted to question. Sparx had informed him that their parents hadn't been in any of the lanterns and Spyro wanted to know where they were. The ape was beat up bad enough that he couldn't damage anyone even if he tried, so he was the perfect interrogation victim.

"All right! What are they?" Spyro demanded, shoving the ape up against a stone wall of a cliff.

"Where are…who?" the ape asked. He was a bit confused.

"My parents! A blue dragonfly male and a brown-and-green dragonfly female! Where the hell are they? And don't you dare say dead! Cuz I'll make Spyro go all purple dragon on your ass!" Sparx threatened.

"…Never caught…those dragonflies…Must've left before we…took over," the ape said.

"Where would they have gone?" Spyro inquired.

"I know where they went. They went to Aunt Margie's up north in another swamp. Or they would have if that place isn't knee-deep in stupid Dark Master garbage," Sparx told him. "That place was pretty well-hidden. Even I had trouble finding it when the folks sent me on an errand at her place. Thing is, it's too far to reach _and_ get back in time to meet up with Terrador and the demon. So we'll have to save it for another day."

"Fine. We'll come back when we've permanently beaten the Dark Master down for good," Spyro grumbled as he finished off the ape.

Spyro took a step to leave but then a wave of dizziness hit him. He tried walking again but found himself frozen in time. Even his eyes couldn't move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shining white form running in his direction, moving at an amazingly quick pace for something that was supposed to be frozen. As the form came closer, it became more obvious who it was.

The white dragon.

She flapped her wings and took to the air, grabbing Spyro and Sparx in her claws as she did so. Time was still frozen for the rest of the world, but somehow the magic removed itself from the purple dragon and his dragonfly friend. They saw the world flash below them as if they were moving faster than the speed of light. And it was all caused by her, the mysterious white dragon who had appeared out of nowhere.

"…Who…who are you?" Spyro asked.

"Little one, I am the creature that will guide you to your destiny," the white dragon stated. "My name is Demetyr."

"Where are you taking us?" Sparx wanted to know.

"To the island where I live…where all the females used to live. But they haven't been around for many months…because of the Dark Master. I am the only one left…"

"That isn't true…is it?" Spyro didn't want to believe it, but something in him knew.

And Demetyr repeated, "I am the only one left."

* * *

_A/N: What did you think? Please tell me. Just a little FYI, I know the Sparx has three different voices throughout the whole series: David Spade, Billy West, and Wayne Brady. I would just like to state that the voice of the Sparx in this story is David Spade because I like him more than Billy West. Wayne Brady might be good, but I wouldn't know because I've only played the first two of the series. Anyways, thank you for reading._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thanks to those who have reviewed. Here is another chapter for your enjoyment. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 3

Demetyr unfroze time when she recognized a blur in the distance. Upon the closing of the distance, Spyro realized that it was an island that he had never seen before. He glanced around and also found out that the Temple was not within sighting distance. In the course of a few minutes, they had traveled farther than he had done in the months of fighting the Dark Master's forces. He didn't know how that was possible.

"We're not as far from home as you think, little one," Demetyr said when she saw his awed expression. "This island is just a few islands from the Temple. We really haven't gone that far. I myself have gone to lands so distant it took me an hour to get there with my ability to freeze time."

"Why do you keep calling me that? We're the same age, and the only reason I'm little compared to you is because of your illusion abilities," Spyro muttered.

"I am sorry…It is because I haven't been my true size in many years and I have begun to think of myself as an adult. But I am not quite there yet. Accept my apologies," Demetyr murmured. "May I ask your name?"

"Yes, babe. I'm Sparx and that's my brother Spyro. I've been looking for you for a long time," Sparx put in, trying to flirt but failing miserably in Spyro's opinion.

"You consider a dragonfly your brother? I find that quite peculiar," Demetyr remarked. Sparx's face fell at that and he crossed his arms bitterly. "And you were asking about your parents when I found you fighting those apes…Do you consider a pair of dragonflies to be your parents as well?"

"Yeah, well, it's kinda hard to explain. I haven't known what I am for that long. Ignitus rescued me from the Temple during the Dark Master's attack, and my egg was found by dragonflies. They took me in as their son and Sparx became my brother. He was born on the same day I hatched, you see. And for the longest time, I thought I was one of them… just a little larger without the ability to fly. It took the Dark Master's forces coming into our swamp and capturing Sparx for me to really come to understand that I was different than them," Spyro told her.

"But you didn't have the same issues because you were found by your own kind, right baby?" Sparx inquired.

"No…I didn't believe I was a dragonfly. But life has been difficult for me ever since the day I hatched. Perhaps believing I was something other than a dragon would have been an easier life for me," Demetyr mumbled.

Demetyr was now flying over the island, preparing to land. The island was unlike the ones Spyro had been on; there wasn't a mushroom to be seen, large or small. Instead there were trees with broad leaves and flowers and a beautiful blue lake. The grass was greener than anything Spyro had ever seen, and the island had gentle animals roaming about here and there. He almost envied Demetyr being found here; this place made the swamp look ordinary. But then he remembered what she had said before about her being the last dragon on this island due to the Dark Master's forces and his envy faded.

"Whoa! This place is almost as gorgeous as you!" Sparx exclaimed as Demetyr landed, letting the purple dragon and the dragonfly go at last.

The white dragon sighed. "It is a beautiful place…on this side. The other half of the island was once as beautiful as this, but the apes have desecrated it and it is now overrun with their kind. Now it is only a matter of time until they take over the whole thing and destroy what beauty remains in this world."

A couple of dragonflies flew over to see Demetyr. One was a pink-and-blue female and the other was a green-and-purple female. Upon seeing them, Sparx's interest was spiked and he couldn't help but stare. The pink-and-blue one giggled like a foolish school girl, but the green-and-purpled one just rolled her eyes.

"Spyro, Sparx…This is Koi and Ambrosia. As there are dragonflies in the swamp you came from, there are dragonflies on this island. Most of them are female. I believe that Sparx will enjoy his stay here because of that," Demetyr commented with a small smile.

"Demetyr, you could have told us you were bringing the purple dragon here. Then we could have told the guards to stay near the borders so the prophecy wouldn't be at risk of failing," Ambrosia grumbled bitterly, her voice tough yet it reminded Spyro of his mother when she chided Sparx.

"Lighten up, Ambrosia. Demetyr knows what she's doing. Besides, even if the Dark Master's forces managed to get over here, they wouldn't stand a chance against two legendary dragons and their strong dragonfly friend," Koi stated, giggling as she glanced over in Sparx's direction. Her voice was like a little girl's, matching her maturity level.

"Ambrosia, please take Koi and Sparx away. Spyro and I have much to discuss, and I would prefer it if I wasn't interrupted by their attempts to flirt," Demetyr said, looking blankly at the yellow dragonfly and the pink one as they started talking all mushy to one another.

"Understood. You will not be interrupted by the likes of those two. You have my word," Ambrosia muttered. She flew over to Sparx and Koi, stopping their mushy talk. "All right, you maggots! Get moving! You make me sick! Get out of my sight! You disgrace the mighty white and purple dragons with your presence! Go!"

Ambrosia pushed them away to some place that Spyro was unsure of. That dragonfly sure was bossy, although she didn't appear to be much older than Koi. Demetyr caught his questioning gaze and smiled.

"Your brother will be fine. Ambrosia is just leading him back to the home of her kind so that he can be comfortable while he acquaints himself with her sister," Demetyr assured him. "Now, with him and his pesky little comments out of the way, we can become serious. I know you have many questions for me, so I will not waste any more of your time because we are short on it as it is. Tell me what is on your mind, Spyro."

Spyro seated himself beside her near the edge of the blue lake and sighed. "I don't know what to say. You never showed yourself before last night…you've been alive all this time and you've kept yourself hidden away from the world. It's not that I'm ungrateful for you coming to the Temple last night…I just want to understand why you didn't appear until then. What has made you decide to show yourself now?"

"…I know you've spoken to the Guardians about me and therefore you know what powers I possess. If the Dark Master had known of my existence beforehand, this island would already be gone and there would be no saying if I would be alive at this moment. The females who found me kept me hidden for my safety. I would have continued to live among what remains of this island without associating myself with the affairs of the outside world, but something changed. An ancient dragon who called himself the Chronicler came to me in a dream and told me it was time to come out of hiding. He said it was my duty to protect the purple dragon who would fulfill the prophecy. And so I did."

"The Chronicler? He came to me last night. That's how I learned my time ability and was able to use fire again. So you know him, too?"

"Yes. But that doesn't really matter right now. We shall seek him out when the time is right, but that time isn't now. Any other questions?"

"What happened to the other female dragons who lived on this island? How did you become the last one?"

Demetyr's cobalt eyes took a shine to them that could only be caused by unshed tears. "The Dark Master's forces are what happened to them. Those accursed apes found the island and killed or captured as many of them as they could. Those that hadn't been killed in the first attack quickly hid me underground with the last Year of the Dragon female offspring before going back to the surface to fight. The adults and elders of our kind were never seen again. We believe they were all killed…except one of the oldest who came back to us and told us that we had to leave before it was too late. She took the other remaining females away to an island far away from the apes, a place that those monsters would never reach. I remained because I chose to…I didn't want to leave the land where my kind had thrived, a land so beautiful it shouldn't have been overrun by monsters who wished to destroy it. I was only seven years of age when they left."

"…Are they still alive? The ones who left?"

"Yes. I visit them from time to time. They are a full fifteen years older than us, except for the elder who is many centuries older than us. They grow lonely without the companionship of a male, but if I can get the Guardians over there, I'm sure that would change."

"How many of them are there?"

"Six, not including the elder. Two of them are fire, one is ice, one is electricity, two are earth, and the elder is ice. The Guardians would have their claws full trying to keep the dragon population going when they are outnumbered. I can imagine the fights they'll have over the last two. They should be glad the elder is too old to be laying eggs, or that would just make it worse."

"…Did the Chronicler specify why now was the time to come out and protect me?"

"Not clearly. All he said was a new, powerful evil had arisen and I was the only one who had a chance of stopping it. What that new evil is…is anyone's guess."

"Okay…and what of the guards that Ambrosia brought up? Who are they?"

"Oh, yes. The guards. They are the animals that remain on this island that aren't dragons or apes. As you may have noticed as we were landing, only the gentle creatures whom don't eat other animals are roaming about. The ones who do eat other animals have grown irate with the Dark Master's forces and have volunteered to help keep those accursed beasts away from this side of the island. Today was their hunting day so that they can keep up their strength for any attacks the apes might launch. That's why Ambrosia was bitter with me for bringing you here today. But it couldn't wait."

"Demetyr, I don't really understand why you brought me to this island. You could have told this to all the other dragons in the Temple. Why did you bring me here?"

The white dragon sighed. "Because, Spyro, there are things you wouldn't have understood completely had I told you these things anywhere else. Things must be seen with the eye in order for one to believe. Would you have believed there to be an island that has been half-desecrated had I not shown it to you? Would you have believed there was life in balance with evil had I not allowed you to see it here? Do you even believe what I have told you?" Before Spyro could reply, Demetyr continued. "You cannot believe until you see. And now I shall grant you the ability to see what you cannot."

Before the purple dragon could react, the white dragon rested her brow against his. Spyro felt himself become full of ancient and powerful magic that he had never encountered prior to this meeting. His soul felt weightless and it floated out of his body like it didn't belong to him. Demetyr's did likewise, but her soul wasn't as large as her body. In fact, she was about the same size as him. Even her horns became just like his, only they were white. They drifted away until their bodies became nothing more than specks, and the island was soon to follow.

They drifted into a place that seemed to be the island but it had a younger feel about it. Spyro saw all kinds of dragons wandering about, their colors the same as what the Guardians and Cynder were with other colors mixed in here and there. Some were larger and older than others, and a couple of teen (by teen, I mean Spyro and Cynder-size) dragons were wandering about. Only one child dragon ran around, and she seemed to be the misfit color-wise. She was white, shining in the light like her scales were made of diamonds.

_Where are we?_ Spyro wondered.

_**We are in my memories,**_ Demetyr replied.

_How did you take us here? The Guardians never said anything about white dragons having this ability._

_**I don't have the ability to take people into the past. This happens when two powerful dragons' minds merge. We could have gone anywhere in the past. I have chosen to show you my past so that you can see what I saw…the near extinction of the dragons.**_

The sky suddenly filled with dread-wings carrying explosive barrels full of the Dark Master's forces. The dragons looked up at the sky just as the barrels were dropped. They were nearly overcome by the apes, but some of the adults managed to get the teen dragons and the child away without being noticed by the fighting apes. Spyro and Demetyr followed as the adult females led the younger ones to a tunnel, and from there, underground.

The teen dragons were frightened completely of the situation, as was the child. The adults did nothing to comfort them, for they knew what this meant for the dragon race and no words could take away the pain that the girls would feel. All they could say was what the young dragons could do.

"Voltrix, Icy, Eurasia, Harpie, Firene, Heathrune, Demetyr…" a red dragon female began, addressing the female dragons by their name. "…You must stay here underground until we come for you. A war has been launched against us by a great evil known as the Dark Master. He is dead, but his forces remain alive and at his service. They are attacking us now, and we must fight them. But we cannot risk your lives in this. Use the tunnels here; animals scurry about and there is an underground lake here. Use them for food and water. There is no guarantee that we will return at all. But if you see an ape in these tunnels, run. Eurasia and Harpie, you have the powers of the earth. Use them to free yourself and the others from these tunnels if the Dark Master's forces ever make their way down here. Don't try to fight them; they always come in numbers. You must flee."

"…But…But Ignitrix! What about the others? What about Litrina and Cyrilena and the others our age? They were overcome by the apes! We must save them!" the blue teen dragon said. She was Icy, and she was a lighter blue than Cyril with less ice-like scales on her than the Guardian possessed. She looked absolutely terrified for her fellow dragons.

_Ignitrix?_

_**Yes. She was Ignitus's sister. Their mother had two eggs at once-unusual for a dragon to do. They hatched on the same day and were inseparable…until the Dark Master's forces appeared in the dragons' territory and they split the females from the males. She was the Fire Guardian for the females.**_

Ignitrix shook her head sadly. "…I fear it is too late for them. They are probably dead by now with their inexperience in battle. You are the only six left of your age group. And Demetyr is the only one left of her time that we know of, so you can finally relate to her. We mourn their passing and the passing of those older, but we need to join them in battle before the island is completely taken over."

All the little dragons began to weep for their lost ones. Ignitrix and the other dragons could not blame them; this was the first time the young dragons had lost anyone in their lives. But they couldn't stay a moment longer. Their fellow dragons needed them.

"Be strong, little ones. The survival of the dragons may rest on your shoulders," Ignitrix murmured, caressing each of the young dragons' faces with her tail before turning to leave the tunnels. "May the ancestors look after you…May they look after us all."

The adult dragons all left the tunnel, destroying the only entrance as they did so. The girls huddled together into one big group and tried to comfort one another as they listened to the sounds of fighting overhead.

_**The fights lasted for weeks, but we never saw the adults again. Not even Ignitrix returned to us. The small game that ran around the tunnels and that underground lake kept us going during this time, but on the inside…we were all dead.**_

Spyro felt time move forward a bit, but otherwise everything seemed the same. The only differences were the young dragons seemed a bit thinner and there wasn't any indicating sounds of fighting above anymore. Demetyr was the only one not in the morose pile; the little dragon was wandering about the tunnel with a sense of impatience about her. Icy was looking at her with dull curiosity shining in her crimson eyes, wondering what had the child worked up that day.

Suddenly, the blocked entrance of the tunnels blasted open. The dragons jumped into a defensive position with the two earth dragons in front, ready to bust a way out if it was necessary. Demetyr was forced behind the others for safety reasons, for everyone was aware of whom she was and wanted to keep her safe. Icy was right in front of her; they had grown close in seclusion and Icy had named herself Demetyr's protector.

They had gotten all defensive for nothing. An old Ice female walked into the tunnels, breathing slightly irregular from the elemental force she had had to exert in order to get to the young dragons. Her wings were torn in places and she had the look of an old dragon, but otherwise she looked well enough. She smiled at the young dragons, who ran over and hugged the first dragon they had seen in weeks besides themselves.

"Thirrene! You've come for us! Does that mean the war is over?" the yellow dragon, Voltrix, asked.

"I fear not, young one. The Dark Master's forces are great in number, and our number has decreased dramatically. I am the only adult from this island that still breathes because of the dragon those damned apes stole from the Temple. They have used her to slay our brethren, and if she is not taken care of before it's too late, there will be no more dragons and the Dark Master will be in our world again," Thirrene sighed.

"Is that dragon here?" Icy demanded.

"No. With the other dragons' deaths, she and the Dark Master's forces have withdrawn. Only about a hundred apes remain to claim this island as theirs. Luckily, they are on the other side, or surely we would all be goners by now," Thirrene informed them. "We must flee from these islands. I know of a place far away that could not be reached by these apes' dread-wings in years. We will be safe there. But we must leave now."

All the teen dragons were ready to leave, but Demetyr was reluctant. Not even Icy's urging could get her to want to leave. Thirrene pulled her to the side and spoke to the child on even terms.

"Why do you not want to leave, dearest Demetyr?" Thirrene wanted to know.

"…I don't want to leave my home where my brethren were slain. And I don't want those monsters to desecrate the beautiful land, Ice Guardian Thirrene. They don't deserve to live in such a beautiful place after what they've done. And when I'm bigger, I'm going to kill them all," Demetyr told her.

Thirrene smiled. "You could take care of them now. The other Guardians and I taught you all the elements, and you know how to use the element of illusion. You could make yourself a huge white dragon and kill them all right now. But I wouldn't recommend you showing your face. One word about the existence of a white dragon could bring many more apes to this beautiful land."

"…Will you let me stay, Ice Guardian Thirrene?"

"If that is your desire, then you can stay. Just be careful, Demetyr. I do not want you to die so young," Thirrene remarked.

"I will not allow myself to be killed, especially by these monsters," Demetyr stated. Before their eyes, the little dragon turned into the huge white dragon that Spyro was used to seeing. Thirrene just smiled at her new transformation caused by the element of illusion, as did Icy, but the teen ice dragon's smile was a lot smaller.

"…I suppose this is goodbye, Demetyr," Icy muttered, hugging the white dragon the way that dragons could with her tail and wings. "Good luck in life, and may the ancestors keep you safe."

"Same to you, Icy. I will visit you when it's possible. Keep happy in health and mind, my friend. Goodbye."

Demetyr watched from the surface as the other dragons flew away into the horizon under the safeguard of the moon, tears falling out of her cobalt eyes. Then she turned her back to the moon and flew into the forests that lived on the beautiful island she called home, trying not to take notice of all the death around her, for she would rather deal with the bones when the sun rose.

In the blink an eye, Spyro's soul was pulled back into his body. Demetyr had a similar experience, and she quickly yanked her head away from his. He caught the sight of tears rolling down her face as she turned away from him and he could help but feel sorry for her. While he was living in the happiness of the swamp, Demetyr had had her whole life taken from her in a matter of weeks. Her home may have been more beautiful than his, but it was no question about who had lived the best life. He had never been alone. Demetyr, just like Cynder, had always been alone.

"…We should get you and Sparx back before Terrador and Cynder begin to worry about you," Demetyr mumbled, getting to her feet and heading in the direction that the dragonflies had flown off in earlier.

Silently, Spyro followed.

* * *

"You know, I've met a fair number of girl dragonflies in my day…you know, from living in a swamp and all…But you are by far the most beautiful and sweet dragonfly I've ever met," Sparx complimented, putting an arm around Koi's shoulders. They were sitting (if it's possible for dragonflies to sit) on a branch of a tree and Ambrosia was watching them carefully from a branch above them.

Koi giggled, blushing and glad it wasn't noticeable with her pink face. "And you are the cutest, funniest, and most charming dragonfly I've ever known. I never want you to leave, Sparx. You're the greatest, and you could save us like you saved that tribe in Tall Plains if we ever got into trouble with those stupid apes. Won't you please stay with us here? I would be ever so grateful."

"And I would have to get a spider to make a web right outside of our door so he could eat that annoying little maggot you're flirting with. He's the most annoying dragonfly I've ever met in my life," Ambrosia remarked, causing the lover bugs to look up at her.

"And you're the bitchiest dragonfly I've ever known!" Sparx snapped.

"Hey, be nice to my sister. She's just jealous she can't get a guy as great as you," Koi stated as she pulled on Sparx's arm-he was about to fly up and give Ambrosia a piece of his mind. "You're going to have to leave soon, so why don't we try to enjoy the time we have left with each other without getting into a fight with someone?"

"If he was going to fight me, he'd lose very badly," Ambrosia muttered.

"What was that? Mind saying that louder?" Sparx shouted.

"Sure. I could so kick your ass in a fight!" Ambrosia yelled.

Sparx was no longer sitting; he and Koi were both flying now. Ambrosia copied his actions, ready to fight. Koi was torn between her new love and her sister, but she knew she couldn't stop either dragonfly from fighting even if she really tried. All she could do was float there and wait for their violence to end.

Just then, a tiger jumped from the surrounding trees and ran towards them. Sparx screamed like a little girl and quickly hid behind Koi. Ambrosia rolled her eyes and Koi giggled as Sparx began to scream about not wanting to be eaten. Ambrosia flew down to greet the tiger as she no longer had to deal with that foolish golden bug.

"Ambrosia, the apes have crossed the border. They are coming this way now. We may not be able to hold them off much longer," the tiger snarled to the green-and-purple dragonfly.

"I will alert Demetyr immediately. Return to the fight and keep them back as long as you possibly can," Ambrosia instructed. The tiger bowed before taking off in the direction that he had come. The dragonfly sighed and turned to Koi and Sparx. "We must hurry. The Dark Master's forces are coming. I will get Demetyr. You two must warn the others of a possible attack. Koi knows what to do. Sparx…I never thought I'd say this, but you'd better keep my sister safe. If anything happens to her, your ass is mine."

With that, Ambrosia flew off to locate the white dragon. Koi grabbed Sparx's hand and flew him towards the homes of the other dragonflies, sending the warning throughout the island. Even the animals larger than them were warned, for they were all in the same boat when it came to the Dark Master's forces. Sparx was surprised by how serious Koi could become in a situation like this, so surprised that he didn't even raise his voice once during this whole evacuation scheme.

Everyone but them flew or ran away for their safety. They heard the apes' hysterical laughter come closer, as did the sounds of fighting and dying. Yet Koi seemed reluctant to leave for some reason unknown to Sparx. The only sign that she was afraid was the tightening of her grip on his hand.

"Koi, we have to leave. Your sister told me to keep you safe," Sparx remarked.

The pink-and-blue dragonfly shook her head, fighting the tears in her eyes. "No. I don't want to leave. They…They killed my family…They killed the island…I want to fight them…I know I can't…but I want to, Sparx. They shouldn't be allowed to come over here where beauty remains…they should all be dead…"

"I know, baby, I know. But there's nothing we can do. Only Spyro and Demetyr and the guards can take care of them. We need to find safety," Sparx told her softly, holding her in his arms when she could no longer fight her emotions. "I don't want you to get hurt, Koi. If anything happens to you, not only will Ambrosia kill me, but I will never be the same ever again. I meant everything I said to you earlier. And that's why I need to get you out of here before those apes get past the guards."

Koi sniffed. "…All right, Sparx. I love you enough to trust you. Take me away…"

Before Sparx could comply, a dozen apes appeared from the area that the tiger had run off in not too long ago. They looked around for any sign of anything they could kill, and the dragonflies were the only things they found. The Dark Master's forces surrounded the bugs, hoping to keep them from escaping so they would be easy to kill. Koi hid her face in Sparx's chest, too afraid to look at the creatures that could be her death.

Her fear, her sadness, her desire to live…it fueled something within Sparx that he never felt before. Anger welled up inside of him, and without thinking, he thrust his hands in their direction. Fire came out, instantly incinerating all those who threatened the life of the female dragonfly he had grown to love in just one day.

Koi looked up at him like he was some sort of god, and it didn't really hit him until then that he had used fire. Sparx looked at his hands in shock.

"What the hell?" was all he could say about it.

More apes appeared, and Sparx forced Koi behind him, ready to use his newfound power to protect her with his life. But that became unnecessary, for just then Ambrosia came back with Demetyr and Spyro closely behind. They noticed the ashes surrounding Sparx and Koi, but didn't have time to ponder the subject because a battle was about to commence and they needed to focus. Sparx let the dragons take over and took advantage of the opportunity to get Koi out of there.

Demetyr used her ability to freeze time on everyone but herself to defeat the apes breaking through, only she kept Spyro and her allies unfrozen at the same time. They cut through all the apes with ease without tapping into the elements as it was unnecessary to overexert themselves during this unfair fight. Spyro had never entered an easier battle. Soon the threat was eliminated, and Demetyr let time return to normal. No apes remained to tell of her existence and the presence of the purple dragon on the island. Everything was fine again.

"Ambrosia, get the others to tend to the wounded," Demetyr told the green-and-purple dragonfly. "Those who are well enough may bury the dead. I will help when I return."

"You're leaving again?" the tiger who had run to Ambrosia earlier asked, a new scar over one of his eyes.

"Yes. I must return Spyro and Sparx to their home…and I must serve a higher purpose. The apes on the other side of this island have been eliminated for the time being. You should be safe and unbothered for months because the Dark Master's forces will not know about this fight. I will be back in time, I promise. I would never abandon this island for good," Demetyr stated. "Come, Spyro. We must collect Sparx and leave."

The dragons found Sparx holding Koi on the branch they had been sitting on prior to the attack. Upon seeing Spyro, the yellow dragonfly flew down with his lover and smiled.

"Spyro! You're never gonna believe it! I shot fire at those Dark Master bastards!" Sparx exclaimed excitedly. "I used an element!"

"What? How is that even possible?" Spyro wanted to know.

"Well, they say the closest companion to a dragon will in time receive his gift," Demetyr said with a small smile. "Every element you know will eventually rub off on Sparx if you stay as close to him as you've been. His attacks may be weaker, but they'll come in handy when we fight the Dark Master's forces. But enough about Sparx. We need to return to the river, and from there, the Temple."

"May I come, too?" Koi asked.

"No! Absolutely not!" Ambrosia shouted, as she had finished what Demetyr had told her to do. "I will not have what remains of my family going off to face this damn evil head-on, especially when her comfort is in the hands of a maggot who flirts with every female he sees! You are staying here, young lady! Now get off of that stupid dragonfly and come tend to your duties!"

"Hey, back off, sister! I'll have you know that I don't flirt with every girl I see and that I will protect Koi from any danger that threatens her! I saved her today by killing-yeah, that's right; killing-a dozen of those damn apes! So watch who you're calling a stupid dragonfly and a maggot!" Sparx snapped.

Ambrosia's anger lessened, and she actually smiled at Sparx. "Did you really save Koi?"

"Yes, I did," Sparx growled.

"…Fine. You can go with him, Koi. But if he ever breaks your heart or lets anything happen to you, then my threat still stands," Ambrosia murmured. Her eyes were now shining with unshed tears, and Koi fluttered over to her and hugged her sister, thanking Ambrosia for letting her go.

Then the dragons and dragonflies left to return home, and Ambrosia was frozen in time, watching them go.

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_A/N: The end of the longest chapter so far. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thanks to those that are reviewing this story. You know who you are and how awesome you are. Here's another chapter. Please read on, and an early Merry Christmas to everyone.

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Chapter 4

Demetyr's time freezing ability got the group back to the river in almost no time. Terrador and Cynder were there, looks of concern frozen on their faces as Demetyr had yet to undo her spell. Spyro thought he saw something else flashing in Cynder's green eyes, but he couldn't exactly tell what it was. The white dragon let time return to normal as they landed, immediately gaining the attention of the two dragons.

Terrador looked up with amazement at Demetyr when she and the others touched down on the ground. It wasn't until that moment that he really believed she was alive and he had done the right thing by keeping her egg a secret from everyone. Her illusions made her seem as long as him, but inside he knew she was nothing more than a child. Even so, he couldn't help but admire the beauty a white dragon possessed that dulled the beauty of any other dragon. No wonder one was born only every twenty generations; if any more were born, the other dragons would grow jealous.

Cynder was awed by Demetyr for a moment, but then her awe faded to mere acknowledgement. Her gaze turned to Spyro, who was already looking at her to her dislike. She was hoping he wouldn't do that.

"Hello, Terrador. I believe we met before…a time when I was still an egg," Demetyr said, bowing respectfully to her elder. "I am Demetyr, last of the dragons on the Isle of Birth. And I am honored to be in the presence of the male Earth Guardian."

"It is I who should be honored. I have never been in the presence of a dragon such as you," Terrador remarked with a smile. "It is good to see you, but the news you bring about the Isle of Birth if not desirable. You must tell me what has become of the others when we have a free moment."

"Yes, of course. First we must get back to the Temple," Demetyr agreed. She glanced down at Cynder and cocked her head to the side. "Who is this? She looks to be of my Year of the Dragon, but only three eggs were salvaged from the Dark Master's forces' attack: me, Spyro, and the dragon that the apes stole from the Temple."

"Demetyr, this is Cynder," Spyro introduced, hoping the name meant nothing to Demetyr because she had never known the Dark Master's dragon by name in her memories.

"Cynder? That name somehow seems…familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time," Demetyr murmured. She sniffed Cynder, who winced, and then something in her eyes changed. They became darker and cold, hard even. She roared and whipped her tail at the black dragon, something no one had expected.

"What is wrong with you, Demetyr?" Spyro demanded.

"What's wrong with _me_? That dragon you're protecting has evil clinging to her! She is the dragon the apes used to kill countless dragons! She killed the dragons that protected me from the day I hatched, perhaps even before that! She is the reason my home is dying and we struggle to survive! Why do you care so much about a monster like her?" Demetyr shouted, narrowing her cobalt eyes at Cynder, who was now standing behind the purple dragon the white dragon was yelling at.

"Yes! Finally, another person who agrees with me," Sparx said.

"Quiet, Sparx. We shouldn't interrupt," Koi whispered.

"Cynder was not a monster by choice. She was turned into the monster that slain the dragons by the Dark Master's forces. They poisoned and tortured her the moment she hatched, using their evil magic to make her adult and dark. Everything she did, it wasn't by choice. I know Cynder for who she really is, and I can assure you that she is not a killer. She is a victim, just like the rest of us, of what the Dark Master has done to the world, and she doesn't deserve to be persecuted for the past she had no control over," Spyro told her.

Cynder looked at Spyro with a mixture of shock and gratitude. Even after everything she had done to him, both as her evil self and her normal self, he still defended her. If he hadn't, Demetyr might have attacked her by now.

Growling, Demetyr folded her wings behind her again. Her distrust never left her eyes as she looked upon Cynder, but she knew there were more important things to do than hold grudges at the moment. She turned her full attention on Terrador, who had watched this all transpire with curiosity instead of worry.

"Let's go, Earth Guardian Terrador. Ignitus may need our help…and there is news that I must give him," Demetyr grumbled.

Without waiting for anyone, the white dragon sprinted off towards the Temple. The dragons and dragonflies quickly followed. Terrador was a bit unnerved by Demetyr's reaction to Cynder, but he knew her hate was not without reason. Cynder may not have had control over her past actions, but the young black dragon had unintentionally taken away everything Demetyr had ever had. For that, Demetyr might never come to terms with her. But Terrador was sure things would work out in time…if they had time.

Even before they had reached the Temple, the sounds of bombardments being dropped by dread-wings filled the air. This quickened the pace of everyone, for they all feared for the safety of Ignitus. Demetyr jumped from the top of one of the mushrooms and glided towards the balcony of the Temple that she and Spyro had fought on the previous night, taking out as many dread-wings as she possibly could with a fiery blast. Spyro, Terrador, and Cynder followed her example while Sparx and Koi just flew straight up and over.

Ignitus was putting up a front against the numerous apes he was facing, but from his fresh wounds the newly arriving creatures determined this wasn't his first fight of the day. When Demetyr, in her fury from two sources, roared, crimson dragon and ape alike glanced up to behold her beauty. Ignitus smiled, knowing she would bring all the hope the dragons would ever need, before engaging in battle again. Demetyr landed beside him and used elements instead of time freeze to aid him in fighting them off.

The other three dragons joined in, their combined elements having a terrible effect on their opponents. Cynder's ability to manipulate their fear drove some over the edge, causing them to end their own lives in order to end their misery. Spyro's fire attacks, along with Ignitus's, helped to make ash instead of enemies. Terrador's earth-based attacks pounded the apes into the ground. Demetyr's element of illusions made the apes confused and made defeating them easy as killing ants. Even Sparx helped with his newfound power to use fire. Koi was the only one who didn't do a thing to thwart the attack, as she was nothing more than a dragonfly.

Soon all of their opponents lay dead before them. Ignitus huffed, breathless from all the battles he had had to fight in that day. Terrador took to throwing the corpses of the apes over the side of the balcony as Demetyr approached the Fire Guardian. She inspected his wounds and found most of them to be minor. There were a few serious ones on his underbelly that were bleeding a little too much for her liking.

"…It's true, then. You really do exist…you really are alive. I am honored to be in your presence, white dragon," Ignitus murmured, bowing despite his pain.

"Rise, Fire Guardian Ignitus. An elder needs not bow to his youth," Demetyr muttered. "I am Demetyr, and I have much news to bring. But first, we must deal with your injuries. There are a couple on you that I do not like the look of."

"I am fine, Demetyr. They are nothing but flesh wounds," Ignitus said.

"How many fights have you been in since we left?" Cynder asked.

"…Oh, I'd say there were about seven attacks on the Temple. But they were nothing. I handled myself just fine," Ignitus claimed.

"Seven? That's high, even for the Dark Master's forces. There must be a reason for their high number of attacks," Terrador remarked.

"There is. He knows of Demetyr's existence. Why else would there be an attack on the Isle of Birth and seven at the Temple in one day?" Koi inquired.

"You went to the Isle of Birth and were attacked? But you weren't gone that long. The Isle of Birth is many leagues away. To get there, you would have had to travel three weeks without stopping, maybe two if you were lucky," Terrador stated. "There is no way you could have gone there…unless…"

"I took them there when I found them in the swamp they grew up in. There were things I wanted to discuss with Spyro on the island where all dragons' lives were created. Then the apes on the desecrated side decided to attack, and my forces and I eliminated them all. The island should be safe for now," Demetyr told him. She turned her attention to Ignitus once more. "I must heal you, Ignitus. I will not have another one of my elders dying."

"White dragons do not have the ability to heal people," Ignitus pointed out.

"I know that. But one of the female elders…Pangaea the female Earth Guardian…She had the ability. She gave it to me before she died of old age and was replaced by Rodinia. Everyone was willing to give me anything just because of who I was…" Demetyr murmured. Spyro could only imagine what she was thinking of at that moment during her silence, but he had a feeling it had to do with all of those who had died because to keep her alive. Then she spoke again. "Anyway, allow me to heal you."

Sighing, Ignitus complied. The white dragon touched both tips of her wings to his and mumbled something under her breath. Before their eyes, all of Ignitus's recent wounds healed without a trace, and even his old wounds disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was as if he had never entered battle before.

But there was a price to pay for such a power.

His wounds had to go somewhere, and they had decided to hop over to Demetyr. She winced away as she felt the unnatural inflictions appear on her diamond-white scales. Her wings, which had never been torn before, now were missing part of their fragile membrane because Ignitus's were not. Crimson blood appeared on the crystal blue scales of her underbelly, where Ignitus's most troubling injuries had been. Everyone was looking at her with shock, as they hadn't expected her to become crippled like that from healing someone. Only Koi wasn't so fazed; she had seen this happen before.

"…Don't worry. This is only a…temporary thing. Lasts for a few seconds because pain cannot just disappear immediately, and then I will return to normal," Demetyr assured them through clenched teeth.

Just as she told them, her scales began to return to their unharmed state within minutes. Her wings repaired themselves, and the cuts in her chest disappeared. The only sign they had ever existed were the few drops of crimson beneath her body. When all of the injuries were gone, the only scarred dragon in the area was Terrador. Ignitus looked at his complete wings in amazement, but he did his best not to make a big deal out of it for his friend's sake.

"Come, Demetyr. We should retreat inside the Temple for now. Cyril and Volteer should be back soon, and then you can tell us what information you have. Until they arrive, can you freeze time on everyone but your allies as to limit the possibility of another attack?" Ignitus asked.

Demetyr looked at her front claws in shame. "I fear I cannot, Fire Guardian Ignitus. I have reached my limit on the power to freeze time for the moment. Even the great abilities of the mighty white dragon have their limits. I must rest for awhile before calling upon the Time Freeze again. Forgive me."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Demetyr. We all have our limits. And you bring a promise with you that is more precious than the power to freeze time. Your appearance has brought hope back into the once proud race of dragons. We might just win this war with you on our side," Terrador stated.

The dragons and dragonflies gathered in the room with the pool of water in the center to await the arrivals of the Ice and Electric dragons. Demetyr deliberately kept her distance from Cynder, her hate of her still strong despite fighting alongside her just minutes ago. Spyro stayed close to the black dragon while the two present Guardians stood near the white dragon, Terrador closest of all. He shared a bond with Demetyr that was like Spyro's bond to Ignitus, so it was no wonder he wanted to be so close to her.

Sparx was distressed by not having the spotlight on him for so long. So he decided to draw attention to himself and ease the tension in the room.

"Guess what, you guys? I can use fire!" Sparx exclaimed, as they had not seen him in battle earlier.

"You can, can you? I'd like to see proof of that," Ignitus said.

"All righty then. Prepare to be amazed, my friends. For I, Sparx, shall now shoot fire out of my hands and into that pool of water Big Red uses to see visions. Hopefully, it will maintain that ability even when I attack it," Sparx muttered under his breath. He felt the fire burn through his veins as he called upon it, aimed his right hand at the water, and then opened his eyes. The fire went flying to meet with the water, causing steam to rise from the pool as the water put out the fire.

Ignitus, Terrador, and Cynder just stared at him.

"How can he do that? He's not a dragon," Cynder remarked, awestruck.

"Demetyr said that the closest companion to a dragon would soon gain his abilities. Sparx discovered this for a fact when he saved me from those horrible apes on the Isle of Birth," Koi told them.

"It seems we have another creature with us that is not of dragon heritage. What is your name, little one?" Terrador inquired.

"I am Koi, and I come from the same island as Demetyr. So much pain is a part of my life there, for those accursed apes killed all of my family save Ambrosia…my sister. I hope you dragons can destroy them all. Their existence is unwelcome," Koi grumbled, crossing her arms.

"We are glad to have you, Koi. At least now someone can keep that annoying Sparx occupied so his mouth does not draw unnecessary attention," Ignitus mumbled.

It was then that Cyril and Volteer appeared. Both looked battle-worn and tired from the flight, but none bore any perilous wounds. For some reason unknown to everyone else, Cyril and Volteer would not look at each other except to glare. Introductions were done between Demetyr and Koi so everyone would be on the same page where that was concerned. The newly arrived Guardians admired the scar-less Ignitus with admiration and a tinge of jealousy. Then it came down to business.

"Cyril, Volteer. What news do you bring from the mainland?" Ignitus asked.

"The male dragons that remain there have little to say. What we gleaned from them is that the Dark Master's forces are amassing and they are hiding something in a secret location no one can pinpoint. As for the white dragon…they claimed they had never heard of the existence of one. But that can be expected, as she has only just revealed herself to the world," Cyril informed the group.

"There are assumptions as to what the apes are hiding, but no one has been able to get past their fear-derived guesses of the secret weapon. Some even thought that when we mentioned a white dragon that that was what the secret weapon was. But we know for a fact that the white dragon is not what they are hiding because two white dragons cannot be born at the same time. In fact, people believe that white dragons were once purple dragons. Apparently, they evolved their powers beyond that in order to counter the abilities of the Dark Master, reigning evil pur-"

"Enough of your ranting, Volteer. We must hear what Demetyr knows now," Terrador remarked, causing the yellow dragon to fall silent. "Now, please tell us of the fate of the Isle of Birth. What has become of the other females that once lived on the island?"

Demetyr had the terrible duty of retelling the tragedy that befell the dragons for the second time that day, not counting the time she relived it with Spyro. Learning that most of the females were dead or had been captured and were probably dead by now saddened the Guardians. At the same time, it worsened the guilt Cynder felt for crimes she had committed as an evil-possessed dragon. She could no longer blame Demetyr for her reaction when they first met.

"And what of my sister? Did she, too, perish?" Ignitus wanted to know, speaking in a soft voice that already knew the answer.

"I fear so," was Demetyr's equally soft reply.

The crimson dragon burst into tears, silent but ever present. The others waited without a word as their leader wept over the death of his twin sister. It was the only respectful thing to do. It was another loss for the dragon race.

"How many survived?" Volteer inquired after some time.

"Seven others. Thirrene, the female Ice Guardian, and six of the Year of the Dragon prior to my own. I will take you to them someday so that the dragon race will not die out," Demetyr replied. "Two are of the element of fire, two of earth, one of electricity, and one of ice. At least one from each element still lives. But they are farther away than the Isle of Birth. Without my ability, it could take nearly a year to get there, and even with my ability, it would take two days. This war would have to be put at a standstill for quite some time before we could risk the trip."

"Yes, I agree. Right now, it is too dangerous to try. But there is something else I must address that involves Spyro," Ignitus sniffed. He turned his teary gaze to the purple dragon. "During our most recent battle, I noticed you using fire again. Have your powers returned to you, young dragon?"

"Not exactly. I gained the element of fire again last night while I dreamed. It came to me from a dragon who called himself the Chronicler and it was the first dream I've had in awhile. I haven't slept well in a long time…because most of the time I close my eyes and sleep, I keep getting nightmares of evil that I prefer not to see," Spyro explained.

"You've been keeping secrets?" Cyril asked, outraged, at the same time Volteer exclaimed, "The Chronicler?" The dragons glared at one another before their attention was directed elsewhere.

"Spyro, tell us about these dreams of yours. And then we'll discuss the matter of the Chronicler," Terrador muttered.

So the purple dragon gave a brief summary of his nightmares, the one that was given in the second video game about the Mountain of Malefor. The Guardians were slightly unnerved by hearing of this, as they were all aware that the Celestial Moons were almost at an eclipse and that evil mountain was right under the point where the moons would meet. But they turned to the matter of the Chronicler, who turned out to be an ancient dragon of lore that none of the Guardians had met in their lives. Demetyr kept quiet about her dream sent from the Chronicler, as too much attention had been on her recently and she was glad for the break. A confirmation that the Chronicler was also real brought more hope to the Guardians combined with the presence of Demetyr.

"Now we must prepare for another attack. The Temple is unsafe, but so is the rest of the world. We cannot allow the Dark Master's forces to overrun the sacred grounds of the Temple again. We will stand and fight as long as we can. Are we ready?" Ignitus asked his allies.

"Yes," they chorused quietly.

"Good. Then let us head out and await the onslaught of the dread-wings."

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_A/N: What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading, and Happy Holidays!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry that I take so long to update. Here's the next chapter for my loyal readers. Thank you for being so, and please read on.

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Chapter 5

There were three more attacks on the Temple before night cast its shadow over the islands. The Dark Master's forces were defeated every time without any survivors on their side. But Demetyr was forced more than once to heal the Guardians so they wouldn't be lacking in their next fight. It put a great strain on her energy, but she made up for that by freezing time for however long her body could do it. She would have been able to hold time during the whole battle had she not used that ability so much that day. She was more than exhausted by the time the Celestial Moons showed themselves.

Ignitus dismissed the young dragons, saying they needed rest and that the Guardians would look out for any more attacks. Sparx and Koi naturally went into the Temple with them, as they weren't doing much better themselves. Demetyr separated herself from the others, curled up into a ball, and fell asleep to regain her energy. No one dared to bother her, for they all understood how important it was that she got her rest.

Cynder fell asleep at the opposite end of the room, and Spyro would have joined the female dragons in the dream realms, but he feared his nightmares would return and he wasn't that tired. Sparx was too busy with his girlfriend to give him any attention, which, for once in his life, bothered Spyro. So, seeing as he had nothing better to do, he thought over what he had learned about the Chronicler and Demetyr's past so he could attempt to make more sense of everything.

Koi had flown away from Sparx to be alone, something she hadn't expected to do when she decided to follow him to the Temple. She felt like an outcast; everyone else at the Temple could actually do something to fight off the Dark Master's forces. Even her beloved Sparx, who was a dragonfly just like her, could fight them with the element of fire. She had nothing she could do. Koi had been friends with Demetyr ever since the white dragon appeared to fight off the apes on the Isle of Birth, but never close enough to have her powers rub off. How could she be of use to the dragons?

Frustrated, the pink-and-blue dragonfly punched a wall, which had fruitless results. Then she stopped moving her wings and fell onto a small mushroom that had managed to grow inside the Temple. She was beginning to think that coming to a land filled with war had been stupid, that she shouldn't have left the safety of the Isle of Birth just to be with Sparx. What good was she to their cause? She was nothing more than a potential victim.

_Maybe I should just leave,_ Koi thought, resting her face onto the palms of her hands.

"Hey, baby. What's the matter?" Sparx asked, floating beside her.

She didn't answer, for she didn't trust her voice to be steady when she spoke. Sparx really began to worry about her then. Koi always had something to say in response to his words.

"Come on, Koi. Whatever's bugging you, you can tell me all about it. I won't make fun of you for it, or criticize you, or anything. I'll just do whatever I can to make everything all better for you," Sparx told her.

"…You can't make this better for me, Sparx…It's impossible…" Koi murmured. Her voice was shaky and she felt tears stinging her eyes. She blinked them back, refusing to cry in front of Sparx again.

"Oh, baby. Come here. You're acting all sad, and you know that when you're sad I'm sad," Sparx remarked, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"…You wouldn't understand how I feel…not anymore, anyway…not since you got your powers from the purple dragon," Koi muttered, pushing his arm off of her.

"What do you mean by that?" Sparx wanted to know.

"Dragonflies are weak insects. We have no special abilities, or we're not supposed to. Since you have always been close to Spyro, some of his powers have rubbed off on you so you can use fire and fight our enemies. I…I've never been particularly close to Demetyr…I have no powers. I am useless in battle. If anything…if anything, I am a handicap to you guys. I'm the easiest to capture…and the easiest to kill. Perhaps I should have just stayed on the island with Ambrosia. Then I wouldn't have to worry about this," Koi grumbled without looking at Sparx.

Sparx couldn't say anything to counter her claim. She was the only one who couldn't fight the Dark Master's forces now. He had once been like that, but earlier events of that day had made him otherwise. He was one of the big dogs now…or rather, big dragons, taking names and kicking ass. But he never would have discovered his powers had Koi not been in danger. Everything he did on the battlefield…he did it for her. Saying that, however, would not help his situation at all. So he left her alone for the time being until he could think of a way to make her smile again.

"…Hey…Spyro, can you come over here for a moment? I need…some help with something…" Sparx whispered as to not wake the sleeping dragons.

The purple dragon, who had been deep in thought, jumped at the sound of his voice. It was almost funny that he, a mere dragonfly, could startle a dragon of prophecy. But as of that moment, Sparx found little humor in things. He wouldn't find humor in things again until Koi was happy.

"What's wrong, Sparx?" Spyro inquired.

"…Koi, that's what. She feels worthless just because she's the only one that can't fight. And I don't know what to do about that. I mean, I love her and all, but everything she said to me is true beyond a doubt. What can I do to make her feel better? That's all I want to know," Sparx said.

"I think you're asking the wrong dragon about this kind of stuff," Spyro told his brother. He sighed. "But I'll try to help you. I suppose the only thing you can do…is accept her for who she really is and try to get her to see she really isn't all that she says she is. She might not believe it right now, but one day, she could be useful. She could be the one saving us from the apes instead of the other way around. We just have to wait and see what comes as our future unfolds, and see how far we go."

Of course, Spyro was relating the situation to Cynder. She felt that she was evil and no good to the dragons in the Temple, but Spyro refused to believe that. He accepted her for who she had become after being freed of the Dark Master's influence, not who she had been in the past. He really believed that she would one day save them from the Dark Master because he believed she was strong. If Sparx really cared enough about Koi, he would believe the same thing…even if she was nothing more than a dragonfly.

"Yeah…I suppose I could tell her that…But I doubt it will make her feel any better about things happening now," Sparx grumbled. "Thanks for trying to help."

"Hey, that's what brothers are for, right?"

"No. Brothers are for teasing, beating up, and belittling. Friends are for helping."

"Oh. Right."

Demetyr stirred and opened her cobalt eyes in their direction. She hadn't awoken because they were talking too loud; it had been the emotions she was receiving from them. Or, to be more exact, from the female dragonfly. Her powers were far from recovered, and so she decided it would be better if she gave up her huge illusion for the time being. Before their eyes, she became Spyro's size. It shocked Sparx, but Spyro had seen her like this when she had shown him her past.

"You want Koi to feel better about herself, not like a handicap. The only way to do that is to give her powers," Demetyr murmured. Koi couldn't hear her from her distance.

"Yeah, but a white dragon can't just hand her powers over to someone else. Besides, even if it was possible, you're too weak to do that right now. You can't even keep the illusion that makes you look like an adult dragon anymore," Spyro pointed out. "You should rest and regain your strength. Your abilities could mean the difference between victory and defeat when we fight again."

"The same could be said about you, Spyro, as you are the Dragon of Prophecy. Your strength is far more important than mine. You are the one who shall defeat the Dark Master in the end. I am just here to guide you like the Guardians," Demetyr said. "And I didn't say it would be me giving Koi powers. I have heard rumors of there being a special idol for the dragons underneath the Temple. This idol supposedly gave the first dragons their abilities to use the elements like we all use them presently. It's a long shot, but perhaps it will still work and will be willing to grant Koi powers of her own."

"I'm willing to try anything to get Koi smiling again. How do we get to this underground idol?" Sparx asked.

"That…I am unsure of. But it shouldn't be too hard to find if we all look for it. The four of us will find it in no time…unless those accursed apes somehow got into the tunnels below. I highly doubt they could have, but one is never sure until they see things with their own two eyes," Demetyr told him.

"What about Cynder? Couldn't she help us find the entrance to the tunnels?" Spyro wanted to know. He didn't want to leave the black dragon alone, not with all the attacks that were falling upon the Temple. If they left her alone then, he might come back to find she was gone…or worse, dead.

Demetyr's blue eyes narrowed, and her tail swung around for a few seconds. It would have been impressive were she the size she usually was, but it didn't seem the least bit threatening when she was so small. She groaned. "Fine. Since you care so much about Cynder and I would hate to come back to find the Dark Master was using her again, she can come. But if she attacks and kills you in the meanwhile, do not say I did not warn you. Wake her and let's go. The longer we take to get to the idol, the greater the chance Ignitus and the other Guardians will die."

Excited, Sparx flew over to the depressed Koi to tell her what they would be doing for her. At a slower pace, Spyro walked over to the sleeping Cynder. She was a light sleeper and woke at the slightest sound. This time was no exception. Her blue eyes flashed open when she heard his claws on the rocky ground that was the Temple's floor. She glanced at him with nothing but concern in her eyes, and Spyro just assumed she was too tired to be agitated with him. He told her quietly what they would be doing and asked if she would please come with them.

"…I don't think Demetyr would want me to come," Cynder muttered, looking down at her white claws. "She hates me for what the Dark Master made me do. I don't think it would be wise for us to be traveling together."

"Cynder, Demetyr won't hurt you. She does hate you, but that's only because of the Dark Master. In time, I am sure she will be more accepting of you. You just have to give it time and get used to being around each other. Coming with us to find this idol may be good for the both of you. Besides," Spyro added, "no one wants to leave you here with so many attacks going on. If the Dark Master's forces somehow manage to get past the Guardians, you would be easy prey for them to kill or capture. We don't want that. _I _don't want that. So please, will you come with us?"

Cynder gave Spyro a small smile. "Well, if you care that much about my safety, I suppose it would only be right if I came down with you. But if Demetyr turns around and cuts my head off with her enormous tail, I'm coming back and haunting you to your grave."

Spyro grinned at that. "I don't think I'd mind that all that much. But I also doubt she could take your head off with her tail. Don't you see how small she is?"

The black dragon glanced around Spyro and was surprised to find Demetyr was no longer huge; she was the same size as Cynder and Spyro. "What happened to her?"

"She doesn't have enough energy to keep up the illusion that makes her look older. Underneath those huge wings, she's just the same as you and me. We're all the same," Spyro replied.

The group set out through the halls of the Temple to find anything that could lead them underground. Koi was bit happier now that there was hope she could become useful, which in turn made Sparx happier. They held hands as they flew, looking feverishly for a door or a secret button or a hole in the floor that would lead them to this idol. Demetyr walked at their pace while Spyro and Cynder held back a bit.

After about an hour of searching the Temple, their search looked next to hopeless.

"Oh, it's no use. We're never going to get underground in the tunnels to find that idol. We should just give up and go back. Then the warriors can rest up for another day of fighting and I can just rest so I can worry," Koi said morosely, ready to call it quits.

"No, baby. We're not leaving this place until we find that damn idol, cuz I want to do something for you that let's you know how much I love you. If I have to search this damn Temple for the rest of my life to find the damn idol, I will, and it will all be for you, Koi. All for you," Sparx declared. He flew around like a madman, turning over everything he could get his hands on, looking for anything that would give a clue about where the idol or the tunnels were. This was next to pointless because they were in the room with the giant dragon statue in it, where hardly anything else was. But he wasn't willing to give up, not until circumstances forced him to.

"Sparx, just stop. You're going to exhaust yourself," Koi mumbled feebly.

He didn't listen.

"I can't believe we couldn't find it. You'd think that the Guardians would have kept the entrance to the tunnels visible just in case we had to retreat underground to get away from the Dark Master's forces…It has to be around here somewhere," Cynder said.

"Yes, but where? That is the question," Demetyr agreed.

The black dragon sat against one of the walls, a little tired from all the walking and searching. She felt something give way behind her, and before she even had time to scream, she fell through the wall and disappeared into the darkness that was inside the wall. Spyro was the first to reach the hole in the wall, as he was most concerned with her safety.

"Cynder! Are you okay?" Spyro called. He couldn't see her with the darkness of the night combining with the darkness of the hole.

"…Yeah…I'm fine. Just didn't expect the wall to give way," Cynder replied, sticking her head out so he could see she didn't go very far. "I believe this is the entrance to the tunnels that will lead us to the idol. I could be wrong, but a wall that gives out so easily is worth exploring. There are some torches along the walls, I think. If one of the mighty dragons that breathes fire would be so kind as to light them, it would make it easier to see where we're going."

Spyro gave Cynder enough time to move out of the way before he followed her request. With one breath, he lit all the torches down the tunnels as far as the eye could see. Sparx grabbed Koi's hand, but even though there was still a chance of finding the idol, she remained depressed. She was always looking down so she wouldn't be disappointed when things went wrong. That was how she lived her life ever since her parents died all those years ago.

The group followed the torch-lit path in front of them. It led straight down for some time before making a hard left turn, leading out to a straightaway with no sign of where they were heading. The only thing the dragons and dragonflies were sure of was that they were below the Temple. Other than that, they had no clue.

On the walls were a few cryptic runes written in the ancient dragon language. Spyro could only understand a handful of them, and what they added up to saying made no sense to him. He didn't know if either Demetyr or Cynder would be able to read them, either. But tunnels so elaborately covered with runes of the dragon language couldn't just lead to nowhere. They had to lead to the idol or some other thing of great importance to the dragon race.

About a half hour passed with them traveling through the tunnels without any luck of finding anything of importance. But they all believed something like this wouldn't just lead nowhere…all except Koi held this belief. The runes continued in their illegible ranting without giving any hint about anything.

"We're getting close," Cynder stated suddenly, eyes on the runes.

"How do you know that?" Spyro asked.

"…When I was being used by the Dark Master, I gained knowledge about the ancient language from his mind. He was in my head, Spyro. Most of his knowledge was and is my knowledge," Cynder muttered.

"So what exactly are these runes saying?" Sparx inquired.

"'The Harnesser of Power draws near to thee. Thou path leads to power if thou are willing to continue. Be patient, be strong, and the powers of the ancient ones will be within thou grasp in the Harnesser of Power,'" Cynder and Demetyr said in unison. They heard their synchronized voices and glanced at one another, a little shocked that those who disliked each other so much would be speaking at the same time.

"The Harnesser of Power? That must be that idol you heard about," Spyro remarked. "But how do you know the ancient language, Demetyr? Did the elders on the Isle of Birth teach it to you?"

Demetyr nodded once. "It was taught to me by Ignitrix, Pangaea, and Thirrene because of who I am. The Electricity Guardian, Currentine, refused because she saw it as unfair for the other dragons on the island. It was her loss, I suppose. But enough about my past. Let's quicken our pace so we might find this Harnesser of Power and get back before the Guardians discover we're missing."

Five minutes later, the tunnels ended. Where they ended, a giant idol sat. The idol was a large dragon about the size of the statue in the room the group had been in earlier. It was made of solid gold, or what appeared to be gold, and kind of looked like Demetyr and Cynder did when they were huge. The only difference was the body part wasn't so slender as it was muscular. The wings of this dragon were pulled away from the body and the tips extended so far, not even the combined length of the Guardians could match it. This was truly a magnificent piece of work.

On the walls next to the dragon's wings, the runes read, 'Thou are in the presence of the Harnesser of Power.'

Koi couldn't believe her eyes. Despite all of her doubt, they had found the very thing they had set out to find. And they had sought it out just for her. A very small smile managed to appear on her face as she thought about the possibility that she might become of some use to the dragons after all.

"It's magnificent and all, but does it do what Demetyr said it does? You know, bestow powers upon the worthy and all that jazz?" Sparx wondered.

The golden parts of the dragon that would have been its eyes in real life began to glow. **"Who enters the sanctuary of I, the Harnesser of Power?"** The voice was feminine and echoed throughout the tunnels, causing the room to shake a little.

"We do, O Mighty Harnesser. Demetyr, perhaps the last white dragon to ever exist; Cynder, black dragon once cloaked in evil but now free; Spyro, the purple dragon of prophecy; Sparx, golden dragonfly that is kin to Spyro and has gained some dragon abilities; and Koi, pink-and-blue dragonfly from the Isle of Birth. We come to beg of you a favor," Demetyr told the idol.

"**Favors do not come lightly in these times, white dragon. With our race dying out, one cannot be too cautious about what powers she bestows to a potential enemy. As the black dragon can testify, even dragons can be used as tools to wipe out dragons. What have you come to ask of me?"**

"My friend Koi…She has no powers to fight against the Dark Master. I do, but she doesn't, and we are of the same race of creature. I don't want her to feel like a liability when I myself should be so," Sparx explained even though he knew the dragons could have said it better. He felt as if it was his duty to explain this because he was the reason they had decided to search out the idol in the first place. His love for Koi had helped with the decision. Koi herself was the real reason for them finding the dragon idol.

"**Fire-wielding dragonfly, I do not usually bestow powers unto one that is not of dragon blood. I was once a dragon, the very first dragon to be precise…and the only dragon for the longest time. I turned myself into the form you see thus, and waited for the eggs I had laid without the accompaniment of another dragon. My children searched for me, and I bestowed powers unto them that they would require to live and continue our race. I had six children of my own and bestowed different powers unto each of them. One had the abilities of fire, another of ice, another of earth, another of electricity, and another of fear. The last had no abilities yet, and he resented me for that. But his descendant that was born ten generations later had more power than all other dragons of the time…the first purple dragon.**

"**As I was a dragon and am the Mother of All Dragons, I find it hard to stray from my race to give powers unto another race. I made that mistake once upon a time, and the creature I gave powers to has misused them ever since. That is why I had the Guardians block off the tunnels so no more of those creatures would come to me for power. That one beast has made me reluctant to bless any other creature, even dragons, in this world. I do not know if I can grant even the little dragonfly girl powers, for I fear what consequences might follow that action. Forgive me, Sparx."**

"Who did you bless that has made you so distrustful of everything?" Cynder asked.

"…**Gaul, King of the Apes."**

"You blessed Gaul? Why?" Demetyr demanded.

"**He came to me when he was much younger, many years before the raid on the Temple where my descendants were killed before their birth. That sweet-talking, lying, accursed little ape made me believe he was going to make his kind good again if he could have the power. I do not know how he got past the Guardians, but he did and he convinced me. So I gave him a couple powers of the earth, along with a staff. That staff went on to become tainted with the evil of Malefor, and Gaul did not change his kind. Rather, he made them worse. When he came to the Temple and destroyed all the eggs save three, I wept for all the unborn. I heard their cries of anguish and I wept, even in this form. That night, I made an oath that I would never bestow powers unto one who would misuse them, and I told the Guardians to seal me off in hopes that I would never be found by anyone again. I regret blessing Gaul every day that I continue to exist."**

"But…But Koi would never misuse her powers! She's a good-hearted person with everyone else's interests in mind before her own! Koi is the most kind creature you are ever going to find, and all she wants to be able to do…is help to protect the dragon race against those apes! Won't you at least allow her to do that?" Sparx pleaded, clutching Koi's hand more firmly than he'd ever done before.

His desperation caught everyone offguard. They all knew he liked Koi, but never knew he could care about someone other than himself enough to plead for their desires. Koi looked at Sparx with her big blue eyes, suddenly feeling very happy that she was lucky enough to be loved by a hero like him.

"…**I see much hope in the likes of you all. The only ones I am really edgy about are the sisters, but that is only because of the Dark Master's closeness to their hearts. I suppose Koi will not misuse the gift I am about to give her. But I also have a proposition for the Prophecy Dragon, if he is willing to hear it."**

"What is your proposal, Harnesser of Power?" Spyro inquired, wondering about the 'sisters' but not enough to ask about it.

"**Your powers haven't completely returned since your battle against the black dragon. I do understand that the ancient dragon…the Chronicler as he is now called, is slowly restoring your abilities to wield the elements. But if you ask it of me, I can turn you into something more powerful. I can make you into a white dragon. You would still look the same, but your powers would be enhanced to the same strength as the female white dragon. This might aid you in fulfilling the prophecy to the letter. All you need to do is ask if I would grant you this power."**

"…Does the prophecy say I need the abilities of a white dragon to fulfill it?"

"**No. It says not. It just says the purple dragon born in the thousand-and-first Year of the Dragon would defeat the Dark Master and an era of peace would ensue this victory. It says not what must happen in order for the purple dragon to win. I would know everything about the prophecy, seeing as my powerless son was the one who wrote it."**

"Then I decline to become something that I am not. Any power I get, I wish to obtain it of my own deeds. But I thank you for your offer, Harnesser of Power."

"**You are welcome, and the offer will always be open to you, Spyro. Koi, please fly forward. Your destiny awaits you."**

Nervously, the pink-and-blue dragonfly released Sparx's hand and flew towards the head of the Harnesser of Power. The golden dragon idol's eyes became even brighter, and the light shot straight out at Koi. It enveloped her, rendering her un-seeable to those below. The light figure they assumed was her became longer and wider, changing from the shape of a dragonfly to the shape of something otherworldly. The light figure was then lowered back to the ground, where the light disappeared from her.

Koi had changed dramatically. She had legs now, but only two and they weren't like anything she had ever seen before. Her antennae were gone. Her face was more rounded and her eyes were slightly smaller. She had long black hair that reached the point where her wings attached themselves to her. Long pointed ears were on either side of her head. Her skin was light, light pink, as were the wings she still possessed. The blue that had been on her when she was a dragonfly had morphed into armored clothes. She had on knee-high dark blue boots, blue leggings of the same shade, a blue blouse, and blue armor on her arms, torso, and shins. A golden belt was around her waist, and on it was a sheathed sword.

"What have I become?" Koi demanded.

"**I have turned you into an elf, a creature that existed once upon a time in a realm far, far away. You can still revert back into a dragonfly whenever you choose, but when you enter battle, you will have this guise. As an elf, you can fight with a blade against the apes, shoot arrows, and use magic. You must learn spells for yourself, though; because I am not from the elves' realm, I know not their magic. Your wings will stay with you so that you can gain an advantage in battle by fighting from a range. I hope this will make you feel more useful when an attack is launched on the Temple again."**

"It will a lot! Thank you very much, O Mighty Harnesser of Power! You will not regret your decision of granting me these powers!" Koi exclaimed happily, beaming.

"**That is something I have not heard in many centuries, dearest Koi. Take the bow and quiver that lay at my base and make them yours. As long as you carry the quiver, your supply of arrows will never deplete and the string of the bow will never break. And you needn't worry about what will happen to your weapons when you turn back into the form the Creator intended for you. Your weapons will always be with you in elf form and won't hassle you when you are not."**

"Thank you once again!" Koi shouted, grabbing said things from the Harnesser of Power's base and slinging them over her shoulder.

"**You are welcome. Now go. The Guardians require your assistance in a particularly nasty battle. If you hurry, you should get there in half the time it took you to reach me. Now run. The fate of my race may very well rest on your shoulders. Do not make me weep anymore."**

The group took off faster than they'd ever gone before, leaving the dragon idol alone again like she was used to.

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_A/N: Weird chapter, I know. What did you think? And what did the Harnesser of Power mean with her reference to the sisters? Whatever you think, please tell me. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Here's another chapter for you peoples! Enjoy!

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Chapter 6

Terrador fought back the apes to the best of his ability alongside the other Guardians, but they were being pushed back. So many dread-wings had come. Ignitus had sent Volteer inside to wake the young dragons for assistance, but they hadn't been where they were supposed to be. Now the older dragons were being forced back towards the Temple's doors and receiving injuries they could have avoided earlier when they had more energy.

Calling upon the powers of the earth, Terrador slammed his front legs down. Many of his enemies went flying from the Earth Smash, but still others remained to fight him. He used the Earth Shot on anyone who got too close, but for the most part, he just sat there to catch his breath. Somehow, he had gotten a really nasty gash across his side. He couldn't remember how it had happened in the heat of the battle, but it was hindering him more than he could have thought possible. It was one of the only marks he had on him now; Demetyr had wiped away all his scars earlier that day after one of their battles had nearly rendered him dead.

He couldn't help but wonder what had become of the younger dragons and their dragonfly companions. They wouldn't have just left for no reason, especially not with all these battles going on. What had made them disappear? Did they get up and walk away themselves, or did the Dark Master's forces somehow manage to get inside the Temple and capture them? Ancestors, he hoped not. That would mean that innocent Demetyr had been taken. He couldn't have her lost again. Not after he had just found her, or rather after she had just found him.

A dread-wing flew too close to him with an assassin on its back. He swung his blunt tail with as much force as his injured body could muster, and hit the head of the dread-wing. The skull broke and went into its brain, killing the bat-like creature instantly. It dropped from the sky with its rider still holding on for dear life.

Terrador glanced in the distance and couldn't believe what his eyes were showing him. Another wave of dread-wings was on their way despite the fact that there was still a battle going on with previous waves. Those accursed apes had never, ever played fair before, and it didn't look like they were going to start being civil that night. The large green dragon sighed, readjusting his stance with a wince, and prepared to fight this new wave before it mingled with the old ones.

He was better off than the other Guardians when it came to physical condition. Volteer had taken a rather horrible gashing to his right eye, making it harder for him to see and fight. Ignitus's right hind leg had been severely hurt; he couldn't even stand on it anymore due to the pain. Cyril's left wing, which he often used to shield himself from the massive amount of apes that came at him, had been cut off halfway. The rest of his wing, the part that had been cut off, lay on the ground. Terrador could only imagine how much pain his friend was in. The wings were the most sensitive part of any dragon. It was amazing that Cyril wasn't screaming from the pain. Tears did glisten in his blue eyes, but he would not give his enemies the chance to see him cry. Despite all his pompous boasting, Cyril really was a strong dragon.

_Tonight is a good night to die, so long as it keeps Demetyr and Spyro from being captured, _Terrador thought. _If this be the day I pass into the afterlife, I will die the honorable death of a warrior, protecting those I hold dear. Glaedr will be proud of me when we meet in death. I will be sure of that. And Demetyr will know how much I care about her. For her ...I am willing to lay down my life. She is my only hope, my only star in the sky. She must not die, must not be captured._

_Tonight is a good night to die._

With that, Terrador roared and took to the sky to meet the arriving threat head-on. The other Guardians glanced up at him, but hardly had enough time to see what he was doing because they were still stuck in battle. He flew faster than he had in many years, holding his massive wings close to his body, and charged into the first set of dread-wings he reached. Those that were hit with his massive body collapsed right then and there, dropping their ape-filled cargo as they fell to their deaths. The other dread-wings shot fiery bombs at Terrador, and he hurried to dodge them. Striking them the same way he had struck the others wouldn't be possible. They were prepared for that now. He would have to use various Earth breaths on them to take the other dread-wings out.

He started fighting in hopes that he could protect his fellow Guardians, the Dragon of Prophecy, and Demetyr…for without her, nothing else mattered.

Spyro, Cynder, Demetyr, Sparx, and Koi emerged from the Temple door to find that the place was crawling with apes and the sky had about a dozen dread-wings. The injuries the Guardians had received were terrible, but Demetyr couldn't heal them in the heat of battle. They needed to act quickly to get these monsters away from their elders. They needed to save lives.

Koi took to the sky in her elf form and grabbed her bow. She strung an arrow, aimed at the nearest dread-wing, and fired. Although she had never used a bow before, her arrow pierced the eye of that dread-wing, causing it to scream in agony. She quickly put it out of its misery before moving on to the next dread-wing. It had been decided while they were running to help the Guardians that she would handle the dread-wings and the dragons would handle the apes on the ground. She just hoped Sparx would be all right down there. Even if he had the ability to use fire, he was now the smallest fighter on their side.

The dragons split up to aid all the Guardians they could find. Demetyr was worried when she didn't see Terrador, but didn't have time to think about him. A large ape, the strongest kind of them, was being a menace to Cyril. She rushed over to help him, firing that ape up and diverting his attention from the Ice Guardian long enough for Cyril to use his tail to kill him. His bloody half-wing was a gruesome sight, and she told him quickly that she would heal it when there were no more of the Dark Master's forces about. He smiled to show his appreciation before taking out more of the apes.

Spyro and Sparx hurried over to Ignitus, shooting fire at all the apes they came across. The red dragon gave them a painful smile when he saw them, and Spyro winced when he saw all the cuts on the elder's right hind leg. He could even see bone from where so much of Ignitus's scales and muscle had been torn away. Ignitus was in no condition to fight with a leg like that. Spyro ordered-yes, ordered-the Fire Guardian to leave the fighting up to him, and took out all the threats to the elder with Sparx at his side.

Cynder slid in front of Volteer and faced the large group of small apes that were getting ready to pounce on him. The golden dragon's right eye was pretty much useless, which was probably why those stupid apes thought they could overpower him. To make it even worse, they were standing in his new blind spot. Cynder couldn't have them killing one of the Guardians. Her blue eyes flashed black for a moment as she used her manipulative powers of fear to get at these apes. They yelled and jumped off the sides of the balcony to escape their fear.

Soon, all the apes and dread-wings were taken out around the balcony. Demetyr came through with her promise to Cyril, restoring his wing and relieving his pain. She also took away the injuries of the other two Guardians against their protests that she was too weak. Their combined pain racked her now small body, but she didn't care. The Guardians were one of their biggest hopes of getting Spyro strong enough to defeat the Dark Master. Koi dropped down from the sky, still in elf form, and joined the group as they began to remove the bodies from the balcony.

"…Where's Terrador?" Demetyr asked when she was no longer in pain.

"…I don't know. He flew off that way just before you guys showed up," Volteer replied, pointing with his tail towards his right. It was amazing that he could tell Terrador had gone that way when hadn't been able to see out of that eye until a few minutes ago.

"Why?" Spyro inquired.

"We're not sure. Perhaps he saw something we were too busy to see," Ignitus told him.

"Koi, can you see him?" Demetyr wanted to know, instructing her elf-dragonfly friend to look in the direction that Terrador had supposedly flown off in.

She squinted her blue eyes to see in the distance and what she saw shocked her. "…He …He's fighting a whole wave of dread-wings in the air! And I think he's losing! They're all gaining up on him! I don't think he'll last much longer if someone doesn't get to him and help him out!"

Demetyr wasted no time after hearing that. Before anyone could take her place, before anyone could stop her, she took off, flying faster than she ever had without freezing time. Her small wings were held close to her body to build up speed as she headed straight for the fight. She heard the cries of protest behind her, but didn't stop. She had to save him, the dragon who had rescued her from the Dark Master when she was just an egg. Terrador was one of the most important people in her life. She couldn't let him die.

She roared in her fury against the dread-wings that would do him harm.

Terrador heard the mighty roar coming up behind him and turned his head just enough to see who it was and still keep an eye on his enemies. They were tearing him to pieces up there, and he believed he was going to die. But what he didn't expect to see was a small white dragon barreling towards him, flying too fast for him to see much of her. She slowed down after knocking his immediate enemies back, and he saw pure anger shining in her cobalt eyes.

Then she did a Fire Fury right there in mid-air.

The powerful attack took out all of the dread-wings almost instantaneously. They were either turned to ash or dropped from the sky because the injuries they received were too much for them to deal with. Demetyr dropped a few feet from the energy drain, but she quickly caught herself and returned to his height in the sky. Terrador was stunned not just by her attack, but also her size. He had only see her with her illusions in play. This was the first time he had seen her as she should have been. He knew that meant she was really short of energy.

She glanced over him, taking note of all his injuries. Blood was practically everywhere. Those dread-wings had really done a number on him. Demetyr moved closer to him, struggling to fly high enough so that her head was level with his, and before he could stop her, she rested her brow against his.

He felt the familiar and welcoming healing powers of her flood into him, but it seemed to be weaker than it had the last time she had used them on him. All his pains disappeared within seconds only to reappear on her. When he felt no pain anymore and saw no wounds on himself, she pulled away. The energy drain was too much for her to take. Her cobalt eyes rolled to the back of her head before closing, and she dropped from the sky like a rock into water.

"DEMETYR!" Terrador boomed, going straight into a dive in order to catch her in time.

Her tiny form looked so weak as she descended towards certain death. It was almost impossible to imagine someone her size being sent to help save the world from the Dark Master. It was almost impossible to imagine her being able to do anything. But Terrador wasn't one to judge on size. He was one that judged on heart. And at that moment, his heart was telling him to hurry.

The distance between them was closed quickly due to Terrador's powerful wings. He grabbed her with his front claws carefully so he wouldn't hurt her, and let his wings open so they would descend no further. He began to fly back up and towards the Temple, his heart still racing as if he were still trying to save Demetyr from her deadly fall. The other Guardians and the young dragons and dragonflies met him halfway on his return to the Temple, full of questions and concerns. Terrador brushed them off; his only concern was getting Demetyr back inside the safety of the Temple's walls.

He landed on the balcony that had been a battlefield not too long ago, dropping Demetyr's body lightly on the ground before he did so. Cautiously, he picked her up in his jaw and walked into the Temple again. Terrador found a place in the corner of the first room where Demetyr could rest and put her there, caressing her with the side of his tail as he did so. Then he turned to face his fellow fighters, eyes set hard.

"We shall not disturb Demetyr so long as she slumbers. She risked her life for mine, and nearly died because of the energy drain her kind heart has caused her to endure. If there are any more battles while she is in this state, we will not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed and injured with hopes that Demetyr can heal us. She shouldn't have to put such a strain on herself for our sakes. We need to stop relying on a child to protect us and start fighting for ourselves like we did before we knew of her existence. We're dragons, ancestors damn it! We're the proudest and strongest race there ever was! We should be able to hold our own against these damn apes! But no, we've relied on a fifteen-year-old dragon to save our asses! We've just met her today, and already we're putting too much on her! We fight for ourselves like we did before we knew her, or we will die! Is that understood?"

Spyro was a little taken aback by Terrador's language. He had never heard any of the Guardians curse since he knew them. But since the Earth Guardian had, he had no doubt that Terrador was angry and frustrated. Who could blame him? Demetyr had almost died trying to save him. Even though her energy was really low, she had flown out there, done a Fury, and healed him. Then she dropped. Looking at her now, Spyro wondered why Terrador wasn't hurting someone.

"This is how we're going to function from now on. There are eight of us, not including Demetyr. I will stand guard over her until she recovers. Two dragons or dragonflies or whatever the hell we have on our side will stand guard at a time except in one case. If there is another attack, you'll all fight. And you will win without severe injury, or ancestors help me, there will be hell to pay," Terrador snarled. "Koi, Cynder, and Cyril take first watch. In two hours, you will switch with Volteer and Sparx, and two hours after that, they will switch with Ignitus and Spyro. Then the cycle will repeat. Are we clear, or do any of you wish to argue with me?"

Sparx was about to say something, but Spyro quickly hit him with his tail to keep him from talking. Ignitus, who was the leader of the Guardians, didn't speak against his friend's commands, so therefore, neither did Cyril or Volteer. Terrador glared at them for a second more before turning his back on them.

"Get out of my sight," Terrador muttered.

Koi, Cyril, and Cynder went to take first watch, just as they were ordered. The others left Terrador and Demetyr to rest in another room. When he heard no one else in the room, the large green dragon sighed morosely and laid down. His body encircled Demetyr's in a protective manner.

He didn't want anything to happen to her anymore. It would hurt him too much. She was more than just a child dragon to him. She was his everything; his hope, his fear, his heart, his strength, his weakness. He knew she was many, many years too young for him, but he couldn't help but love the white dragon that was lying unconscious beside his body. The other Guardians would never understand if he told them. The only one who could even come close was Ignitus with his love for Spyro, but that love was just fatherly. Spyro might understand a little, since it was obvious he loved Cynder, a dragon that had been evil once upon a time. But even the small purple dragon might encounter trouble understanding how a warrior dragon Terrador's age could love a dragon only fifteen years of age. It was best to keep this secret to himself lest seem like a pedophile dragon.

Terrador's eyes grew heavy. He knew he needed sleep in order to protect Demetyr, and welcomed sleep's embrace with open wings.

_Tonight was a good night to die...,_ Terrador thought, slipping into the dream realms. _But it was a better night to find love again.

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There was another attack before morning, but it didn't have any casualties or severe injuries. Everyone was afraid to upset Terrador after his yelling, so they had killed the enemies as quickly as possible. Ignitus heard the other dragons and that annoying little Sparx talking about Terrador's rage, but he gave no input of his own. Terrador was his closest friend of all the Guardians, and he could see where the green warrior was coming from. If something that terrible had befallen or almost befallen Spyro, he was sure he would have reacted the same way.

Spyro was like a son to him, although Ignitus's blood did not run in the purple dragon's veins. Ignitus had felt that kind of connection to Spyro even before he had hatched, the night the red dragon had rescued the egg so the Dark Master's forces wouldn't destroy him. That connection had grown stronger when many years later, Spyro had found Ignitus with a yearning to learn who and what he was. It would only make sense that Terrador, the dragon who had protected Demetyr for just about as long, would have a similar connection to her.

But thinking his connection was a fatherly one would be foolish.

The others might not see it, but Ignitus was no fool. He'd seen the way Terrador looked at Demetyr. It was not the way a father looked at a child, although the same elements were in the gaze. Protective and loving was Terrador's look when he looked upon the beautiful white dragon that was Demetyr. It was considered wrong for a dragon of their age to fall in love with a dragon so young. But Ignitus wouldn't condemn his friend to be a pedophile dragon. Never. To do so would break not just Terrador's heart and his own, but Demetyr's as well.

Why?

Because she felt the same thing for Terrador. Even she wouldn't have rushed to save him so quickly unless she felt something for the dragon. Even she wouldn't have so willingly drained her energy to heal him unless she felt something for Terrador. Her eyes and actions told all, as did Terrador's. Even if they refused to see that, Ignitus would know.

And he would keep it to himself.

The others had no reason to know about the dragons' hearts.

Terrador was his friend.

Demetyr was one of their last hopes.

He wouldn't deny them their happiness.

So he just stood there, lost in his thoughts and keeping their secrets, as the sun rose over the horizon, wiping away the darkness and bathing him in light.

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_A/N: What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thank you, people who have reviewed! Here's another chapter for you. Please read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 7

Terrador's eyes flashed open only to reveal that what he had been seeing was just a nightmare. He had seen Demetyr dead and the evil Malefor slipping into her body on the Night of Eternal Darkness, then using her body to kill him. Luckily, it had all been just a dream. Little Demetyr was still alive and not evil, lying still in slumber right next to his massive emerald body. Sunlight that managed to get into the Temple shimmered on her diamond-like scales, making shapes dance on the walls around the room.

It was day again already, and with the sun came a renewed promise of good tidings. The young female dragon might not be awake yet, but she would be in time, and then things would be right again. Of course, they might have to abandon the Temple if these continuous attacks kept coming. They might be the most powerful race on the planet, but their numbers were small, and they had their limits. Those limits would be reached soon, especially for the Guardians like himself. They would have to seek shelter somewhere else until they could formulate a plan. Perhaps Demetyr could take them to the place where the remaining females were or the Isle of Birth. They would be safe at either location for quite some time.

Demetyr was tossing and turning in her sleep; she didn't look to be having pleasant dreams at all. Terrador could only guess at what her nightmares were about. There was a way he could find out for himself, but it was seen as an invasion of privacy if one melded minds without another without their permission. He caressed her small form with the side of his tail, careful not to hit her with the spiky blunt end of it, hoping that the simple touch might help her in her dreams. It seemed to do the trick; her restless movement stopped for the most part. Terrador smiled at her.

Then his stomach growled.

He groaned. If he hadn't a stomach, that would make guarding Demetyr until she recovered much easier. He had planned on staying there for until she had enough energy for ten battles and her adult illusion, but that didn't seem possible with his dragon-sized hunger. He would need to go out and hunt sometime, not to mention find a safe water source to drink from. How could he do that without leaving Demetyr?

The door that led from the balcony to the Temple opened and closed. Terrador glanced over his shoulder to see Ignitus holding a rather large deer in his jaws. The animal was already dead and just waiting to be eaten. The ruby dragon dropped the deer at Terrador's side before walking towards the doors again. He was gone for less than a minute and then he returned with a large mushroom cap full of non-toxic water.

"Here. So you don't have to leave her, I took care of your hunting and possible thirst. Might taste a bit like mushroom, but it's water, nonetheless," Ignitus murmured.

"Thank you, Ignitus," Terrador grumbled before taking the deer in his jaws and tearing it to pieces. He wondered if Ignitus had eaten yet or if the red dragon had just give him what would have been his meal.

"How is she doing?" Ignitus asked.

"…She hasn't awoken yet, and she appears to be having a lot of nightmares. I just hope her energy recovers quickly and she comes around soon. That energy use she did yesterday was probably something Demetyr had never done before," Terrador muttered between tears. "How are you and the others doing?"

"…There was…one more attack on the Temple last night. That was it. Nothing out of the ordinary, no injuries to speak of. There are no signs of an oncoming attack. It seems as if all of the Dark Master's forces have just…stopped coming after us," Ignitus reported. "This peace will be short-lived as always, but it's nice to not be under constant fire."

Terrador finished devouring the deer and drained the water from the mushroom cap, ignoring the foul taste it had due to where it was being held. He sensed there was something else plaguing his friend's mind, but Ignitus seemed reluctant to bring it up. With that being said, Terrador did not feel like broaching the subject, for he feared it had something to do with him and Demetyr. Why else would Ignitus be hesitant to speak about something? It had to be that he knew Terrador's feelings. That red dragon could read anyone without their suspecting him of it. Why would Terrador be any different?

"…Terrador, how do you really feel about Demetyr?" Ignitus inquired, finally finding his voice and courage.

"I feel the same thing you feel towards Spyro. We are in the same situation," Terrador lied. He knew it was futile; Ignitus had already seen the truth or he wouldn't be asking about it. But somehow, his pride wouldn't let him admit the truth to anyone yet, not even his closest friend.

"No, I do not think you feel what I feel for Spyro. What you feel for Demetyr is… something else entirely. You know it, I know it. No one else does. It will be our secret. But Terrador, I must tell you something. I will not judge you for where your heart lies, even if she is considerably younger than you. However, you must also know that no matter what, she will never replace Saphira in your heart…Even if she is the daughter of Saphira," Ignitus stated.

Terrador was shocked by that last part. "How did you know who her mother was?"

Ignitus smiled. "Why else would you hide an egg from even your closest friend unless it belonged to the female dragon you loved? Even if it was the egg of a white dragon, you wouldn't have hidden it from me. At first, I was a little edgy about her mother, but your reaction was answer enough."

"…Yes, she is Saphira's daughter. But she is not mine. You know Saphira always turned me down. She was all for that pompous Thorn just because he was stronger than me and better than me at everything. But Demetyr is nothing like her mother. She doesn't like the arrogant and isn't stuck-up. The only similarity between them is their beauty. That's it."

"Why did you protect only one of Glaedr's daughters and not the other? You let that egg become consumed by evil."

"…I don't know, Ignitus. I just don't know. But every time I look at her other daughter and remember the poor girl's past, I regret not taking both eggs and hiding them from everyone. Not a day goes by that the past doesn't come back to haunt me. I just hope that when they find out they're related, they won't blame me for what became of them."

"…No one blames you. No one will blame you. Not even Saphira would hate you for what you've done. You gave her daughter life by saving her, and if she was still alive, she would be regretting never accepting your advances. But I was just giving you a warning so that your heart isn't just going in Demetyr's direction because of who her mother was. If that is the case, then you'll both just end up getting hurt in the end. You must tread carefully from this point on, Terrador. What you choose to do will not just affect you, but her as well. And that little dragon needs no more pain, not after everything she has suffered."

Then Ignitus gathered the bones of the deer into the empty mushroom cap and walked out the doors again. Only this time, he didn't come back.

Terrador sighed and encircled Demetyr with his body again. Memories of Saphira were coming back to him now. The mother of Demetyr she had become shortly before her death a little more than fifteen years ago. He had been a slightly younger dragon back then, but her death had saddened him more than anything else. He had known her, Thorn, and the Guardians for most of his life. Both Saphira and Thorn were dead now, but he still remembered them as if they were still alive with him.

_:::::::::::::::::::::::::::FLASHBACK::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_

Many, many years ago, a green egg hatched in the Temple amidst many other eggs. During this time, both females and males lived in the Temple, as the Dark Master's forces weren't a big threat. The dragon's parents chose the name Terrador for him, which he took with honor even as a baby. His father, Glaedr, expected him to be a great warrior when he grew up, and Terrador didn't want to disappoint the golden Electricity dragon (I'm saying dragons can have children of any element, okay).

Around the age of seven, Terrador had become very well-acquainted with Ignitus, Ignitrix, Volteer, Cyril, and Saphira. Saphira was a sapphire blue Ice dragon that had been born as daughter of the Ice Guardian. All dragon parents wanted their sons to be with her in the future because of her pure heritage, but her father would only allow the best of the best to be with his offspring. Even at that age, Terrador wanted to be with her. She was absolutely beautiful. His male friends didn't see that beauty, but they urged him to go after her. Ignitrix, who had been Saphira's closest friend, warned him that it would be hard for him to win over her, but Terrador had been too heart-strong to listen.

Saphira turned him down flat, though she kept their friendship going despite knowledge of his intentions. But Terrador was not one to be rejected so easily, especially when it could concern his father's approval of him. He left Saphira alone for a few years, building his strength and mastery of the Earth element, becoming the warrior dragon that everyone wanted to be.

Glaedr was proud of what his son had turned out to be, and all the girls wanted to be with Terrador come the next Year of the Dragon. Cyril was super-jealous of Terrador, even though he had his fair share of female dragons swirling around him. Ignitus was a ladies' dragon back then, too, and it wasn't uncommon for the skillful red dragon to disappear for the night with a female dragon. Volteer's mastery of Electricity was probably the only reason the girls were attracted to him, for his lightning-tongue just bored them to death. Still, the only dragons who rivaled him when it came to female dragons were Ignitus and Thorn…even Ignitrix was a bit attracted to Terrador.

Thorn was a deep red Fire dragon who was just as good a warrior as Terrador. Unlike Terrador, however, Saphira wanted Thorn. She saw something in him that no one else could. He was a pompous dragon that often bragged about his skills, which made all the male dragons mad. Thorn especially liked to threaten Terrador, challenging him to see which was truly stronger. Terrador had turned down these challenges not from fear he would lose, but from fear Glaedr would disprove of such an action.

But one day, he gave in.

They were now around the age of twenty-five. That pompous Thorn was flirting with Saphira, and she was reacting pleasantly. The large green giant growled from the edge of the lake he standing at, claws digging into the soft soil as he resisted the urge to pounce on Thorn right then and there. Volteer was talking to a bunch of females, probably putting them to sleep, and Cyril was courting a particular female Ice dragon. Ignitus was beside him, following Terrador's angry gaze with one of his own.

"If you really want her, Terrador, you should accept his challenge. Your father is not around here and you won't get in trouble for fighting him. And besides, you're a thousand times stronger than Thorn is. You'll kick his ass and win Saphira all at once," Ignitus said.

"If Glaedr ever found out I fought a dragon, he would kill me. Especially if it was Thorn," Terrador grumbled.

"What your father doesn't know won't hurt him. And it's not like you are going to kill each other. It's just a small little fight until one of you forfeits or is unable to fight anymore. What's the big deal about that? You'll have Thorn tapping out in no time," Ignitus insisted.

"And like all the dragons around here won't be talking about it when my father shows up or when we return to the Temple," Terrador muttered.

"He'll get over it when you get the most powerful female our age, besides my sister, to be your mate. Then he will have nothing but pride for the wonderful warrior his son turned out to be and be waiting for his grandchildren to come. Are you just coming up with excuses so you don't have to face him? Are you afraid of losing to Thorn, Terrador? Oh my ancestors, Terrador's a coward. I never thought it was possible, but yet there's no other explanation. You're a coward," Ignitus taunted.

Terrador turned his angry growl on his friend. "I am not a coward!"

"Then go over there right now and prove to me, Saphira, and Thorn that you're not a coward. Accept his challenge."

The large green dragon was about to snap at Ignitus, but then he heard the melodic sound of Saphira's laughter mingled with Thorn's charming one. That was the last straw. Thorn could flirt with Saphira all he wanted, but only Terrador could ever, ever make her laugh like that. Forgetting everything else, the warrior dragon walked towards the blue and red dragons with Ignitus close behind.

His arrival didn't go unnoticed. Thorn immediately saw him coming and a smirk made its way onto his lips. Saphira's smile lessened a bit, and that was probably because of the expression Terrador was wearing. Other dragons gathered around like they usually did to see how the strongest of their race were acting, possibly expecting there to be a fight. Ignitrix moved beside Saphira and looked right at Terrador. Her crimson eyes were warning enough, but Terrador was too headstrong to listen to the message. All he cared about was winning Saphira over.

"I accept your challenge, Thorn," Terrador hissed. "We fight, here and now."

"What? You're not afraid of what your father will think?" Thorn taunted. When Terrador didn't respond in any way, Thorn continued. "Fine. We will indeed fight here and now, and this battle will decide who the stronger dragon truly is. We fight until the other concedes or is disabled. And I'll warn you now…I never give up."

"Then prepare for a world of pain, Thorn," Terrador growled, pulling out his wings in a threatening manner.

The other dragons backed away as to give them room to fight. Slender, beautiful Saphira looked like she would rather have been anywhere else, and probably would have flown away had Ignitrix not kept her there with her tail. Cyril, Volteer, and Ignitus stood near those female dragons, cheering for Terrador, while a few of Thorn's friends did the same for the dark red dragon. The warrior dragons circled each other, waiting for one of the others to say when the match started, glaring viciously at the other. If looks could kill, they both would have dropped dead.

A word entered the air, and Terrador wasted no time in attacking. Thorn sidestepped him, but Terrador still managed to knock the wind out of him with his spiky blunt tail. Thorn quickly regained his footing and leapt at Terrador, causing the green dragon to collapse to the ground with the red dragon on top of him. He got his hind legs under Thorn and kicked him off, sending the red dragon into the air. Then he got back on his feet and swung his tail in the air, hitting Thorn's left wing; Thorn had been slowing his fall by opening his wings to catch the air. He watched the red dragon fall before leaping onto him again.

The duo exchanged blows like this for several minutes, but somehow Thorn managed to get the upper-hand. There came a point in their battle where Thorn had Terrador pinned with his massive claw on the green dragon's throat. He was trying to get the green dragon to concede, and every time Terrador refused despite numerous injuries, Thorn just punched him in the face and demanded he concede again. No one called it his match yet; they wanted to see if Terrador could make a comeback. But he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried.

It seemed the fight had gotten to Saphira. She rushed past Ignitrix, towards the two warriors, and stopped a few feet away. Tears were in her beautiful cobalt eyes as she looked upon Terrador; he never liked to see her cry. She was about to say something when a mightier masculine voice did it instead.

"Thorn! Remove yourself from Terrador immediately!" the massive golden Glaedr ordered, eyes alight with anger.

With him and the other Guardians present, everyone rushed to seem proper and civil. Thorn got off of Terrador, who slowly got to his feet to face his angry father. Glaedr came over to him directly. No one spoke a word lest they be scolded by the Electricity Guardian. The eyes that looked upon Terrador were not full of fatherly love. More like they were full of disappointment.

"Are you hurt badly, Terrador?" Glaedr asked with an almost caring tone. When the green dragon shook his head, Glaedr said, "Good," and slapped Terrador across the face with one of his front claws. "You disobeyed me, disobeyed the Order of Dragons! I told you like I told every other dragon to never attack one of your own! And yet you and Thorn disobeyed! We are most displeased with you lot! There will be severe repercussions for your actions, Terrador and Thorn! Now everyone, get out of my sight!"

Terrador didn't need to be told twice. He was gone before everyone else, taking off with the wind in an attempt to leave his troubles behind. He flew as far away from the Temple as he was allowed to go, not waiting for anyone to catch up or stop him. He didn't want to be followed at the moment; he was too ashamed and too upset. He stopped flying when he saw a river of blue water below and decided to stay there until his father came for him …whenever that was.

All the wounds Thorn had given him decided to be a pain all at once. He submerged himself in the lake to let nature clean his wounds just in case they got anything in them and to ward off infection. He wondered how long he would have to keep his head under in order to never surface again, but quickly shook that thought away. He couldn't let himself die just because of a small mishap. But the look in his father's eyes as Glaedr glared at him…haunted him through the years.

When he surfaced again, he was surprised to find Saphira standing by the river's shore. She had followed him, amazingly, and tears were still in her eyes. Those mesmerizing cobalt eyes didn't need tears; they were so much beautiful without them. Terrador got out of the lake and put a comforting wing around her. She didn't brush it away like she might have in the past, which surprised him.

"…Are you okay, Terrador?" Saphira inquired, her voice a bit shaky.

"I am fine. What Thorn gave me will heal in time and will not hinder me," Terrador replied.

"…That's not what I meant…Are you okay…in _here_?" Saphira wanted to know, touching the scales on Terrador right above his heart with one claw.

"I…I don't know, Saphira. In one day, I lost my pride, my strength, my status…and my father's approval. Now I'm shattered. Terrador isn't in me anymore. I'm just what remains of him after that strike to the face," the green dragon muttered. "I don't know if he'll ever come back, or if I'll ever be the same now. Everyone will look down at me from now on, and Thorn will be worshipped, for he has proven himself to be the strongest dragon our age."

"…Terrador…he may be stronger than you, but you have the greater heart. That's what I like about you. Your great heart is always there, always on your shoulder, exposed to everyone. But that's also your weakness. You let things get to you too easily," Saphira told him.

"…Saphira…why are you here? I know you feel not for me what I feel for you. Why have you followed me?" Terrador asked.

"…Because I must tell you something on friendly terms so that what happened today will never happen again. Terrador, you're my friend, my best friend besides Ignitrix. But that's it. I'll never love you. But I love Thorn with all my heart. You're going to have to accept that, or you're just going to end up hurting yourself even more. Please…don't make this harder for us than it already is. You will always be my friend, but Thorn will be something more to me. I'm sorry," Saphira whispered.

Terrador took a moment to absorb what she was saying, and then he spoke again. "… That's the only reason you followed me, is it? To take away the only hope I had left at the end of this day…that was what you came to me for? Well then, your mission is done. You can leave me and return to Thorn. That's what you want to do, anyway."

Rather than argue with him, Saphira moved from under his wing. With one last teary glance over her shoulder at him, she opened her beautiful sapphire wings and flew away, back towards the Temple.

A couple of decades passed by. The Guardians had retired after deciding who would take their places, and by this time, the females had been separated from the males by islands in order to protect the race from the Dark Master's forces. Ignitus and Ignitrix were named Fire Guardians, much to Thorn's dislike. Volteer and Currentine were Electricity Guardians, Glaedr's successors. Cyril was the male Ice Guardian, but elder Thirrene kept her position on the Isle of Birth. Terrador became Earth Guardian, and elder Pangaea followed Thirrene's example. Despite all that had gone wrong in Terrador's life, he still managed to become Guardian.

But his father was never proud of him after that fight with Thorn. He died without approving of Terrador; Glaedr died of old age one night while watching over the eggs in the Temple. Good old Ignitus had found him before Terrador could have, and they had him buried the way all great dragons were.

Terrador never saw much of Saphira after she had been sent to the Isle of Birth. Thorn, being a good guy, kept him informed on how Saphira was doing. The dark red dragon wasn't bragging about his flights over to see the females; it was his job to keep both genders informed of the Dark Master's forces' movement. Thorn was also trying to make up for kicking Terrador's butt and getting him in deep trouble with his father. Terrador didn't mind his sucking up too much, but sometimes, he would have preferred to forget about Saphira.

The day came where the adult males were told to fly over to the Isle of Birth. It was the Year of the Dragon again, and time for the females to mate and lay eggs. Terrador declined to go, deciding it would be better if he stayed behind with the elder males to watch the dragons of the last Year of the Dragon. Ignitus stayed with him, but the other two Guardians went to court a lucky lady. Thorn didn't seem disappointed in Terrador's refusal, but he promised to be back before the others to check up on the green warrior.

A few painful months later, Saphira flew to the Temple and confronted Terrador when he was alone. He was surprised by her sudden reappearance into his life and wondered what the cause of it might be. All the dragon eggs had been brought into the safe room in the Temple, including the purple egg the prophecies foretold, but none had been Saphira's. Thorn was gone, flying towards the Isle of Birth to check on their situation. So why was Saphira here?

"Terrador, I have something terribly important to ask of you," the beautiful slender Saphira stated, holding two round things in one of her front claws. "What I am about to show you, you must not tell anyone of or let anyone see. When I hand it to you, you must hide it carefully in case the Dark Master's forces ever come."

Then she pulled her claws out and showed to him two eggs-one pure black and one white, shining like it was made of the diamond gemstone in the light of the full moon. Terrador was amazed by such a beautiful white egg, and he knew from the myths what kind of dragon would hatch from it…A magnificent and all-powerful white dragon.

"When I laid these, I knew I shouldn't let anyone else know. The black dragon won't be as important as the white dragon will be, but they are my children…and they are twin siblings. They shouldn't be separated, though I will understand if you place the black egg among the others. I know you will protect my children with your life," Saphira said, handing the eggs over to Terrador. "I will check up on you and them occasionally, but you mustn't let anyone know of these visits or the white egg. It could mean trouble for you and Thorn and certain death for us all."

He knew what she meant. If the Dark Master learned that a white dragon was going to hatch this year, no doubt he would send his forces to attack the Temple. And then who knew what would happen?

Terrador hid the white egg somewhere that no one else would find it…He hid it in the tunnels that led to the Harnesser of Power. The black egg, however, he put with the others. He didn't know why, but he did. The Harnesser of Power had urged him to without a clear reason. He kept an eye on both eggs, which wasn't hard, since Saphira's dark egg was the only one of its color that year. Only Ignitus knew about the parentage of the black egg, for that was the only thing Terrador could tell him.

Then they came.

Gaul, King of the Apes, led an attack on the Temple one night. Terrador was waiting outside for Saphira to come; she had promised to visit that night. Then he heard the tell-tale sound of beating wings of dread-wings and rushed towards the room where the eggs were being kept. Cyril and Volteer had fought to keep the apes busy long enough for Ignitus to take the purple egg away, but now they were being overrun. The other male dragons that had been at the Temple at the time had been slaughtered. Terrador remembered seeing a dark red body on his way to the egg room, but brushed that from his mind as he gave those accursed beasts a fight. Their numbers had him beat in the end, but they didn't kill him or the other Guardians. They just knocked them unconscious.

Terrador's big skull prevented him from becoming unconscious so easily. He was awake long enough to see the apes smashing eggs, only stopping when Ignitus came back to try to stop them. He saw Gaul checking certain eggs like he was going to take one. Then the apes managed to hit Terrador's head hard enough that his sight became full of darkness. But not before he saw what egg Gaul had decided to take.

A black egg.

When all the Guardians had awoken again, there weren't any apes left on the Temple's holy grounds. They had left after doing what they set out to do. Luckily, Ignitus had stopped them from completely fulfilling their mission, which was to destroy the purple dragon to prevent the prophecy. They looked at all the shattered eggs around them, all the lost lives that hadn't even made it to Day One. Then they started to clean up the place, knowing there would be dead bodies for removal after the eggs were gone.

The large green dragon warrior grabbed a somewhat decent egg shell that wasn't completely broken. The gooey stuff and small body inside that would have turned into a dragon was cleared out. Then he hid the white egg in it, seeing that any place in the Temple was no longer safe with the recent attack. Holding the concealed egg carefully in his front claws, he flew away from the Temple.

He found the purple river with toxic waters. It was the only body of water that could lead to many different places, and most of them would be much safer than the now vulnerable Temple. He tore a mushroom cap off of the plant and placed the egg in there, and then he placed the mushroom cap in the water. He gave a silent prayer that the egg might make it to the Isle of Birth, across the sea on another island, even though he knew the chances were more than slim. Then, after seeing Saphira's white egg off, he turned and prepared to open his wings.

That's when he saw the body.

Saphira's sapphire body was unmistakable, even in the dull light of the Celestial Moons. She had been attacked while she was flying; her wings were still pulled away from her body. A dread-wing and its assassin must have seen her and shot her down. Her cobalt eyes were still open with surprise showing in the flat gaze. Fighting tears, Terrador closed her beautiful eyes and dug her grave right then and there. Later, Thorn's body was buried beside her so that they could be together for all time.

_::::::::::::::::::::::::::::END FLASHBACK::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_

Terrador heard Demetyr stir and looked down at the little white dragon. She had taken him from his memories of her mother, but he was okay with that. All that remained with the memories of Saphira was a pain originating in his heart after he had found her dead. He didn't need to relive that.

Demetyr opened her cobalt eyes that were so much like Saphira's, Terrador almost felt like he was looking at her and not one of her daughters. The little dragon smiled up at him as she got to her feet and stretched, yawning. She still didn't look like her energy had recovered. If it had, she would have taken her adult illusion the moment she had woken up. She needed many more hours of rest if she was going to get strong again. And he would see to it that she got that rest, even if he had to fight her.

"…Good morning, Terrador," Demetyr murmured, smiling brightly at him.

"Good morning, little one," Terrador greeted. "How are you doing?"

"…I'm still kinda weak…and my energy's still pretty low, but that's what you can expect when you fly into a battle with dread-wings, do a mid-air Fury, and then heal someone with hundreds of injuries," Demetyr replied, poking fun at him with the last part of her statement. "How are you and the others holding up without me?"

"They took out the last attack of last night without anything serious. They're holding up well against the Dark Master's forces. If anything, they're giving those apes hell," Terrador told her.

The girl gave him an odd look. "_They_? What about _you_?"

"Well, Demetyr, ever since you took that near-death plunge, I've been standing guard over you, just in case someone managed to get past the others. No one will ever harm you so long as I'm around," Terrador stated.

"I could say the same thing about you, that you will never be harmed so long as I'm around. But then, I would just be copying what you said," Demetyr remarked. "Are you sure you're not just making everyone else do your work so you lay around all day and be a lazy dragon that you could never be before because of the war? I mean, Cyril would do it. Why wouldn't you, the one with all the brawn?"

"You silly little girl. I would never neglect my duties unless there was no other option. And I'm not being lazy. I'm just…laying down while I watch over the white dragon and catching up on my sleep," Terrador said.

"…Sleep's overrated. Too many nightmares find their way to me. It's very irritating." The white dragon turned her beautiful eyes on Terrador again. "So, you're only here to watch over me? What, did you and the other Guardians pull straws to see who would get stuck with this boring duty? It seems like a pretty stupid job to get stuck with if you ask me. I would know about it being stupid. I'm stuck with it in a way, too."

Terrador chuckled lightly. "No. We didn't pull straws. I just decided to do it of my own free will…after yelling at the others and taking charge. But that's a story for another time, dear Demetyr."

"Why did you want to watch over me, Terrador?"

"…Because I don't want to be separated from you again…or for any harm to come to you after everything you have been through in your life. It would hurt me too much if you were taken away or injured when you had not a chance to fight. You'll understand someday what I am talking about."

"…Yeah…but I think I understand now." Demetyr came over to Terrador's side and curled up beside him. A gentle humming was coming from her chest, a sign that she was very happy. "…I'm very glad that you're the one watching over me, Terrador. Now I know for sure…that you won't be getting yourself hurt. It would hurt me to find you wounded again. Don't go into battle without me, okay?"

"Okay, Demetyr. You have my word as a warrior and fellow dragon."

Then Demetyr fell asleep again, her body right next to Terrador's.

* * *

Cynder had less than two hours until she, Koi, and Cyril had to take up guarding the Temple. Spyro and Ignitus had just taken that role not that long ago. She hadn't much time to complete what she was doing and get back in time to keep Terrador's mood in check. She quickly ran through the tunnels that led to a certain place underground, seeking answers and wanting to find them alone.

The magnificent Harnesser of Power stood before her much more quickly than it had the night before. The beautiful idol that had once been the first living dragon acknowledged her presence as soon as she reached it, golden eyes shining with life light. Cynder exchanged proper greetings with the idol, and then she jumped straight to the point. There was no time to fool around anymore.

"Harnesser of Power, I must know some things. Why was I chosen to be the dragon in servitude to the Dark Master? What is my bloodline? Did that have anything to do with Gaul choosing me over the other dragon eggs in the Temple? Who am I?" Cynder asked.

"**You ask a lot of questions, Cynder. I have all the answers you seek, but I am not sure you are ready to hear most of them. But I can tell from your heart that you are not going to leave here without these answers, so I will comply. Take heart, my child …what I am about to tell you will affect everything you thought you knew and change you, whether you like it or no.**

"**Your bloodline came from two powerful dragons: a sapphire blue Ice dragon by the name of Saphira, and a dark red Fire dragon by the name of Thorn. Saphira's line was pure, for every child in her lineage had been born with the element of Ice. Thorn was not the same in that sense, but his lineage carried great strength. Of course, since you are Saphira's daughter, her lineage of pure Ice has died. But that matters not. The Dark Master heard of an egg that was laid by the powerful Saphira in the same year as the purple dragon. He knew that the dragon that hatched from that egg would prove a formidable opponent if he let it stay in the hands of the dragons. So he sent Gaul and his followers to attack the Temple, and capture your egg so he could use you for his own purposes.**

"**It is true that your bloodline was the reason you were chosen to be in the Dark Master's servitude, unfortunately. He believed you would be very strong and very skilled, and that belief increased when he discovered you were a black dragon with the ability to manipulate fear. That was why he had you poisoned and tortured and made you look like an adult when you were nothing but a child. No dragon that faced you ever lived to tell the tale except for the Guardians, whom you were forced to capture in an attempt to free Malefor from his prison in the spirit realms.**

"**Cynder, you wanted to know who you are. I cannot say for certain, but this is who I, Mother of the Dragons, believe you are. Cynder, you are a powerful dragon that was stolen from your home and used for evil. Despite the evil deeds you were forced to do, you are good at heart and would never hurt another living thing unless you had no other choice. The past is the past, gone to never return. Look forward to the future that you may share with the Dragon of Prophecy."**

Her questions answered, Cynder turned to leave. The answers she had gotten didn't make her feel any better about being chosen to serve the evil Dark Master. But she would have to accept them.

To her surprise, the Harnesser of Power spoke again.

"**Before you go, Cynder, there is something else I must admit to you. Saphira laid two eggs before her untimely death, both of which were fathered by Thorn. She had laid them in secrecy; not even Thorn knew of their existence. Both your egg and the other one were brought to the Temple by Saphira herself. She entrusted Terrador to protect them, and he in turn hid one in these very tunnels. Your egg would have been hidden here as well, but I urged him not to, as it was not your destiny to enter a peaceful life from birth. After the raid, your sister's egg was taken by Terrador and went on its journey to a safe place. Your egg was not as lucky because it wasn't your destiny."**

Cynder gaped at the golden idol who had just admitted she had a role in Cynder's being subjected to evil use. She had never imagined that the idol could have done something so evil to her. What had Cynder done to deserve being sent into evil's open arms?

"Why did you protect my sister and not me? I could have been a better dragon had you not been so reliant on destiny! I never would have killed! I never would have been the Dark Master's slave! I could have always been better for Spyro!" Cynder exclaimed.

"…**If I hadn't let you go with the Dark Master, you never would have lived to meet Spyro or the others. I have seen what would have happened if you and the other egg had both gone to the Isle of Birth. You would have been killed by the apes and the dread-wings, just like most of the dragons that were there. Your sister would be protected on the island, so I let her be protected here. You will understand in time why I did what I did, little one. I gave you life when death was the only other option."**

"…And this sister of mine, the egg Terrador let go to the Isle of Birth…she's still alive? But how can that be? Only three dragons of my Year of the Dragon survived the attack, including me. Unless you're saying that…" Cynder trailed off, unable to say anymore.

"**Yes, Cynder. Demetyr is your twin sister."

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_A/N: End of a very long and weird chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. I would like to point out that the dragons Saphira, Thorn, and Glaedr are all from __**Eragon**__ and that I just incorporated them into this story, and the name Thirrene is actually a character from the book __**Cry of the Icemark**__. This story is getting weirder and more complicated, but hopefully it won't turn anyone away from it. Thank you for reading._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a very long time. Took a break from all of my Fan Fiction stories because my brain wasn't working very well. Anyways, here is chapter 8 for those of you who were waiting patiently for it. Please read on.

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Chapter 8

Cynder came out a few minutes late for her shift, still shocked by all the Harnesser of Power had told her. Cyril and Koi were already flying around the perimeter without her. The others were on the balcony, speaking in low voices about things she didn't know and that she didn't care to know. They stopped talking when she came towards them and looked at her. She didn't mind their staring; she had been stared at a lot in her lifetime, especially when she was the evil dragon everyone feared.

"Where have you been?" Volteer demanded, obviously angry with her late appearance.

"I went to see the Harnesser again…to ask her questions about who I really was," Cynder replied shakily. "…Guess I got more than I bargained for."

"What? Did she tell you that you were pure evil and should be put down immediately?" Sparx asked.

"Sparx, don't be mean," Spyro chided. "What did she tell you, Cynder?"

"A lot…but I'll try to sum it up. My mother was a powerful Ice dragon named Saphira and my father a powerful Fire dragon named Thorn. Because of my heritage, Malefor chose me to be used for his dark purposes, thus was part of the reason the Temple was raided. She believes that I am good, that I was just taken from my home and used for evil, but that I am not evil," Cynder told them. "…Also…she told me…I have a sister who we all know, a twin that was spared when I was not. Demetyr…she is my twin."

They all seemed shocked except for Ignitus. Cynder found that odd and suspected that he had known this whole time, but she left him alone. Terrador had known as well, so why wouldn't the leader of the Guardians and the green dragon's best friend know? There were so many secrets around the Temple, it wasn't funny.

"So…You are Demetyr's twin sister? But how is that possible? Dragons don't lay two eggs at once that often, do they?" Spyro asked.

"It is true that twin dragons are uncommon, but it is possible. It was the case for Ignitrix and myself. And it is the case with Cynder and Demetyr. A black dragon and a white dragon…almost like yin and yang. A dragon that is master of fear and a dragon that is master of illusion. This kind of birthing has never happened before. You are truly a special dragon, Cynder," Ignitus commented.

"You knew this whole time about those two and you never told me? Do Cyril and Terrador know this, too? Am I the only Guardian that was left out of the loop during this whole dragon fiasco?" Volteer wanted to know.

"I've only known as long as Demetyr has been present. Terrador is the only other dragon who had knowledge of their lineage, as Saphira herself brought the eggs to him," Ignitus remarked. "Cyril is just as out of the loop as you, so don't you worry about that."

"Wait. If Darkness here is the sister of Demetyr, then why was Demetyr protected and Darkness left to become the Dark Master's pet?" Sparx inquired.

"…That was the Harnesser's doing. She…she told Terrador to put me with the other eggs …said it wasn't my destiny to start out with a happy life. She told me…that if I had gone with Demetyr to the Isle of Birth…then I would have died the day the island was bombarded…because I wouldn't have been protected on the island like Demetyr would have. She said that she gave me life…when death was the only other option," Cynder stated with a trembling voice. She would forever hate the Harnesser of Power for condemning her to life as the Dark Master's servant, killing innocent dragons for no good reason other than she saw death for Cynder if the black dragon had gone with Demetyr. There had to have been another option.

"…Well that doesn't seem fair. If I hadn't come along, you could have been evil forever. What the Harnesser told Terrador to do…it just doesn't seem right. Couldn't he have hid your egg and left it here even after the raid on the Temple? Or did that thought never cross her mind? I think she was set on letting you become the Dark Master's slave," Spyro put in. Cynder was glad to know that someone had the same mindset as her on the subject.

"We mustn't question the actions of the Mother of our race, young dragons. What happened has happened. There is no point dwelling on what could have been, though it does upset us all that your path could have been altered. You know who you share blood with, and that should be reason enough to keep fighting. She knows not that you are her sister, but when she learns of this, she will become your strongest ally. You should return the favor even before she is aware," Ignitus said.

"…But…Demetyr hates me…" Cynder murmured.

"She will learn to feel otherwise towards you. It wouldn't be the first time a dragon hated another dragon. Trust me. I know practically everything about our race," Volteer boasted.

"For now, just take your watch. When you enter battle, that is the time for proving yourself to Demetyr, and perhaps you will earn her trust," Ignitus told her.

"…Yes, Ignitus," Cynder muttered. She opened her red and black wings and flew off to patrol the perimeter like she was supposed to be doing, anyway.

"Whoa. This whole time I thought Cynder was evil incarnated…and it was actually the Harnesser's fault that she was evil. Wow. I never thought I'd say this, but I was so wrong about Cynder," Sparx grumbled.

"Why did she do it, Ignitus?" Spyro asked.

"…We may never know why the Harnesser does some of the things that she has done, for we do not possess the infinite power she contains. She may be able to see things we cannot, such as possible futures or a creature's mind. Without those powers, we cannot judge her decisions so rashly. I will agree that what she caused Cynder to go through was harsh when the egg could have remained hidden until it hatched, but as with all things, there must be a reason for her decision. I am sorry if what I say doesn't answer your question, but there really isn't a clear answer I can give you," Ignitus replied.

"If you ask me, centuries of power have gone straight to the Harnesser's head. She thinks she can control who lives and who dies and what happens to who and who happens to what and when something will happen and why something will happen. She believes she is the most powerful creature on the planet and that she is in control of everything. I say it was better when she was blocked off and not meddling with us anymore. If it weren't for her foolishness, Gaul would not be as strong as he is and this war would have been over with. That pompous dragon idol is nothing more than a washed-up ancient idol," Volteer complained with his lightning-quick tongue.

"Volteer, that is quite enough," Ignitus muttered, stopping the yellow dragon from complaining any further. "You and Sparx should get ready for your next flight. You'll need all the strength you can get if you are not to faint in mid-air again…right, Sparx? Spyro and I will catch up on our sleep right here, so you'll know where to find us if another attack is launched."

* * *

Demetyr slept for another ten hours. It was night again when she finally managed to open her beautiful eyes to look at Terrador. Ignitus had brought another large deer and a smaller one with water for the dragons a couple hours earlier. Terrador was already finished with his food, of course, but Demetyr's had remained untouched the whole time. She stood and stretched like a cat, glad that for once she had not been thrown into a nightmare.

" 'Night, Terrador," she mumbled with a smile.

" Good night to you as well, Demetyr," Terrador said, returning her smile. "How are you feeling now?"

"…A little stronger…not so tired…and a bit hungry. Mind if I turn savage and tear into that deer behind you?" Demetyr inquired.

Terrador chuckled lightly. "Go ahead. It's your kill, not mine."

Demetyr quickly thanked him and pounced on the dead animal. Terrador had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing as the white dragon literally tore that deer apart with her claws and teeth. Blood splattered all over her beautiful white scales, but she didn't seem to care. All that mattered was getting food into her stomach. Soon all that remained were the bones and a few scraps of the deer that had flown from her mouth as she tore the herbivore apart. She dipped her face into the mushroom cap that was filled with water and drank, clearing away some of the crimson stuff on her at that moment. He only saw her grimace once, when she first tasted the water.

Satisfied and full, Demetyr turned back to Terrador. She felt strong enough to resume her adult form, but didn't want to squander her energy when it had just started to return. Besides, if she turned into her larger self, Terrador would think she was becoming strong enough to fight again and leave her alone. She didn't want him to go. She wanted to spend more time with the handsome green warrior dragon…even if he was many, many years older than her.

Terrador watched as the little dragon put the bones and scraps neatly into the empty mushroom cap. This was completely contradictory to what she had just done, but then again Demetyr was a very unique dragon personality-wise. When she was larger, she spoke more formally and never cracked jokes. As her true size, she was more childish and smiled a lot. Though the larger one was more imposing and better for the battles, he liked the company of the small Demetyr, and he was in no hurry for her to leave.

She curled up beside the green dragon again, though she wasn't immediately sleepy. She wanted to hear one of his great stories, of triumph and victory with a touch of romance in it if it was possible. When she broached the subject, Terrador laughed and agreed he would share one of his tales of old.

"A few years before you were born, I led an attack on a group of apes that were harassing an island with dragons that were a bit foreign compared to others I had met. Those I led were all Earth dragons save one, a dark red dragon named Thorn. Why were we almost all of the element Earth? Well, the island was inhabited by Earth dragons, and they would only see it fit for Earth to assist Earth. They were a bit hard-headed, to say the least. But they were a part of our race, so we had to save them.

"We reached the island quickly. The apes were no match for us, what with our Earth powers keeping them in the air and Thorn's fire scorching the hell out of them. The dragons of the island were in our debt and they were ready to pay it in any way we chose, as was their customs. Their leader was a topaz female, slender yet muscular at the same time. She came right up to me and…well, she tried to win me over in order to 'repay' me for saving her people during their time of need. I declined politely, but she was very persistent. I only got her to leave me alone when I left the island. There's your romance part of the story. Happy now?"

"That wasn't a story! That was a summarizing of an unimportant battle! If that's the best you got for real life, then make something up that's more exciting!" Demetyr ordered.

"Humph. Picky, are we? Fine. Then I will tell you a fictional tale that never happened and never will happen if that will be better suited for your childish mind. Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a white dragon princess. She was beautiful and powerful and everyone adored her. Unlike other princesses of her time, she wasn't vain or cruel. She was kind to every dragon, every creature even, that she met. No one could match her at all. They were all insignificant in comparison to this white dragon princess.

"One day, her father, the dark red dragon king, entrusted her with an important mission. The ancient dragon under his command who called himself the Chronicler had seen that the purple Dragon of Prophecy was in trouble and would be needing her help. He sent her out to a war-torn land, where this dragon was staying in the care of four great warriors with another dragon who had been used for evil. She was accompanied by one of her friends, a pink-and-blue dragonfly who had been enchanted so she could turn into an elf.

"But even the king could not see the limitations on his daughter's powers. She was so busy protecting the Dragon of Prophecy and the great warriors that she squandered almost all of her energy. She nearly died because of her big heart, but the giant green warrior who had grown attached to the princess saved her from a deadly plunge. Her greatest strength was her greatest weakness, and the green dragon knew she would surely rush herself to early death if he did not protect her himself.

"The dark dragon that was responsible for the war that threatened the purple dragon's life sent his army of apes to continuously attack their sanctuary. The other warriors, the purple dragon, the black dragon, and the two skilled dragonflies destroyed the enemies while the green warrior watched over the weakened princess. She slowly began to regain her strength and abilities, but it took a couple of days for her to return to the state she had been in when she came to their home. They enjoyed each other's company in secret, too afraid by their age and status differences to admit anything to one another.

"Then one day, their sanctuary received an attack that caused the green dragon to have to abandon the princess. His fellow warriors were being torn to shreds by the apes, the elf-dragonfly had been killed, and it was only a matter of time until they were all killed if he did not do something. He put his abilities to the greatest of uses in order to tilt the odds back in their direction, and the numbers decreased dramatically.

"But the apes had the numbers advantage with the constant bombardments of their dread-wings and more waves of the creatures always joining. It looked to be the end of all the dragons there, including the green warrior and the Dragon of Prophecy.

"Then, just as things looked grim, the white dragon princess emerged from the building. She performed a Fury for every element she knew all at once, taking out all of the enemies there and allowing her fellow dragons to keep their lives. In the distance, another wave of dread-wings was approaching, but she showed no fear of them. She stopped time, disappeared in the blink of an eye, and when she returned, there was nothing left of their incoming enemy.

"She announced that it was time for her to take the Dragon of Prophecy to face the dark dragon responsible for the war right after that battle. She wanted to take him alone, but the green warrior would not hear of it. She eventually gave into his request, and together the three dragons flew off to the Mountain of Malefor, where their enemy lie in wait, leaving their friends behind with hope that they would still be alive when the group returned.

"The dark dragon was waiting for them with his army of apes, prepared to take on the white princess and the Dragon of Prophecy…or so he thought. The princess stopped time for the enemy, allowing the purple dragon to go right after the leader himself. He managed to kill the dark dragon, but right after he did so, the princess was forced to let her magic go. Again, she had overused her powers. She struggled to remain on her own four legs, let alone keep the enraged apes from killing her. The green warrior and the purple dragon protected her from the hundreds upon hundreds of apes, but their efforts were not always enough. Some big apes managed to land some terrible wounds on the princess, and they didn't look like the kind one usually recovered from.

"When the fight was over and the last ape had fallen, the green warrior rushed over to his princess's side. Her breath was ragged and she looked like she might pass out at any moment. He begged her to pull through, admitting everything he had ever felt about her right then and there in case he never got the chance again. She smiled despite the pain and whispered three words before her head dropped.

"The green warrior had never really prayed before, but that day, he prayed to the ancestors. He pleaded for them to let the princess live, saying it was far too early for her life to end when it had only just begun. He pleaded for them not to take her away from him, to let her stay so they both would be happy. All he wanted was for the white dragon princess to be with him. She was the only one who had ever loved him.

"His prayers were answered. The princess's wounds healed before his eyes, and she opened her eyes again. At first she was confused, but then she understood and smiled at the green warrior. It was then that she had chosen who would rule with her when she took her father's place on the throne.

"The world came to know an age of peace with the war against the apes and the dark dragon finally over. The princess became the white dragon queen and the green warrior became king, ruling over their kind with kindness never seen before. And they lived happily ever after. The end."

Demetyr took a few moments to take in the real message behind Terrador's story. Many of the things that he had said were not fictional and affected what was going on in their lives right now. She could only assume that he had told the truth about who her father had been…the dark red dragon Thorn. But what about the part when the 'green warrior' admitted everything to the 'white dragon princess'? What was that saying about Terrador? Did it mean-?

"…That story…it was about you and me, wasn't it?" Demetyr asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

"…It might have been," Terrador replied. He was afraid of what she would think of him, but there was no turning back. Everything had been revealed in a somewhat cryptic way, and there was no taking it back and saying it was a lie. She was too smart to think he had made up all that.

"So…does that mean….that you love me?" Demetyr inquired.

Terrador didn't reply. He was too embarrassed to admit that he loved a fifteen-year-old dragon who could find someone younger and better than himself. His pride wouldn't let him say the words for fear of being rejected. He had said the same three words to Saphira, Demetyr's mother, many years ago, and she had turned him down. They had been the same age, but still…one didn't recover from rejection so easily. He didn't want Demetyr to turn him down like Saphira had. So he just remained silent and turned his head away from the white dragon.

"…Terrador, it's all right. I don't mind that you love me. To be honest…I feel the same way. Age has no meaning to the heart. Only love matters. And in times like these where our race is near the brink of extinction…age means even less. I love you, Terrador. Truly and unconditionally," Demetyr stated.

Those words took Terrador by surprise. He had been completely prepared for rejection, and yet she had accepted him. She had even admitted she felt the same way. He turned around to look at her and was taken aback when he saw she had taken her adult form. Her tongue darted out of her mouth and touched his cheek lightly, and he immediately felt his face grow warm. She smiled, which was something new for that form of her, and curled up next to him again. It was completely different than when the child her had been beside him. But he felt the same warmth he always felt when she was near.

"…I love you, Terrador…" Demetyr repeated before drifting back into dream world.

"…I love you, Demetyr," Terrador whispered.

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An hour later, the doors opened and Cyril rushed in. Terrador awoke as soon as he heard the sound of the Temple doors, but Demetyr remained asleep. The expression on Cyril's face was enough to immediately bring Terrador to his feet. There was something terribly wrong, something he needed to know about right away.

"Remember how Demetyr told us some of the dragons on the Isle of Birth were captured by the Dark Master's forces and never seen again? Well, we just found out what happened to them. They weren't killed. Gaul was torturing them and poisoning them just like he did to Cynder, and now a whole army of dragons is flying towards the Temple with dread-wings. If we enter this battle, it will mean certain death for all of us. We can't face three dozen of our kind. There's no way we could survive it," Cyril remarked.

Terrador at first couldn't believe what Cyril was telling him. The dragons had all been killed…hadn't they? Why would the Dark Master wait eight years for the dragons to give in, for them to break and become the evil creatures Cynder had once been? He walked past the Ice dragon and glanced outside into the distance to see if he could see this dragon/dread-wing army, and sure enough, there they were. Flying towards the Temple as fast as they could…with a slender red female as their leader.

"Ignitus already told us that their leader is Ignitrix, though she no longer looks to be herself. He refuses to fight her and says he's already lost her once; he won't be responsible for losing her again. We've got to get out of here. Now," Cyril stated.

"Where will we go? They will find us eventually," Terrador grumbled.

"Demetyr can take us to the island where the other females are, which is too far away for dragons without time-freezing abilities to reach. We would be safe there until we could think of a way to free our comrades," Cyril replied.

The Earth Guardian sighed. There was no other option this time around. He walked back over to Demetyr and gently pried her from her sleep with the touch of his tail. He explained the situation, and she understood what needed to be done. She got to her feet and strode toward the doors to see just how bad this attack on the Temple would be, her cobalt eyes hard and cold.

"…I haven't gained enough energy to travel two days straight with my ability to freeze time. I'd have to drop my illusion again…and I wouldn't be able to fly, for the strain on my energy to freeze everyone but us in time would be too great. Someone would have to carry me on their back the whole trip. And even without flying or illusions, I cannot assure you that I will be able to keep the time freeze at all times. There may be times when the time freeze stops, but you will just have to accept them because I will not be strong enough to prevent this from happening," Demetyr said.

"I'll carry you," Terrador told her.

"Whatever. Let's just get moving! This is a life or death situation, and the more time we waste talking, the less time we have to escape! Now let's go!" Cyril exclaimed.

Demetyr dropped her illusion and became a small white dragon again. She leapt onto Terrador's back, trusting he wouldn't let her fall while in flight. He walked out to join the others. The army was getting closer, so much so that they could see all the colors of the dragons that were being used for evil. There was no time to waste. Demetyr froze time for everything but them, stopping the army in its flight, and the Guardians, Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx and Koi took off into the night, leaving the Temple for the second time since this war had begun.

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_A/N: End of chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thanks to those that reviewed. Here's another chapter. Please read on.

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Chapter 9

The two-day flight to the island was hard on everyone, especially Demetyr. Time unfroze more than once, and there were times when the strain on her energy caused her to pass out on Terrador's back. But she kept up her efforts, leading them to the place she had visited very rarely and keeping her ability working even when she wasn't conscious. The dragon army was nowhere to be seen. They had been lost a long time ago.

Everyone was exhausted from flying so long; their wings were unaccustomed to such a long journey and were aching. Koi and Sparx had been unable to keep up with the rest of them, so Spyro let them hold onto his back. But now he and the others were feeling the effects of this retreat. It was only a matter of time until they would have to stop and rest. Only ocean could be seen below them, though. Where was this island they were supposed to be flying to?

Then it appeared on the horizon at the end of the second night, surrounded by several smaller islands. Demetyr confirmed that they had arrived, smiling tiredly at their success. No dragons could be seen, but then again, the time wasn't exactly one that dragons would be awake at. In the light of the Celestial Moons, they could make out the tops of coniferous trees and other plant life, along with some animals as they came closer to the ground. There would be time for observing later. A more important matter had to be dealt with at the moment.

Demetyr stumbled off of Terrador's back, barely able to stand on her own legs anymore because of the effects of the long journey. She let out a shrill cry that hurt everyone's ears. It was not done for that purpose, however. The white dragon had been told to let that call out whenever she arrived at the island so her fellow dragons would know she had come to them. She paused, and just as she had expected, there was a reply that sounded identical to her noise. It came seven different times with seven different tones. Their arrival had been noted and soon they wouldn't be alone anymore.

Unable to stand anymore, Demetyr collapsed to the ground. Her eyelids felt very heavy, but she forced herself to stay awake long enough to see those that had survived the tragedy of the Isle of Birth with her. Thirrene would recognize the Guardians for sure, but she probably wouldn't be able to stop the six younger females from attacking the possible intruders if Demetyr wasn't able to explain things to them. They looked more like strangers from her healing all of their old scars…the white dragon began to doubt Thirrene would recognize them after all.

Cynder moved protectively in front of her collapsed sister, as did Terrador. Spyro couldn't help but consider the irony of the situation. Demetyr had openly expressed her hatred for Cynder because of what the Dark Master had forced the black dragon to do, then it was discovered by Cynder that the two were sisters, and now she was defending the white dragon that hated her. Also, Demetyr had been the strongest, most powerful dragon among them, the one who was always protecting and healing her fellow dragons. Now she was the one that needed protecting. The tables had turned. Everything was becoming something else. The purple dragon could hardly keep up.

He turned his attention away from the black dragon when he heard movement behind him. From the forests around them emerged six lovely female dragons and one ancient one who still looked…somewhat pretty. All of the younger dragons looked to be the same size that both Cynder and Demetyr had once been, only they were different colors because of their elements. The older one looked more like the Guardians in build.

The female that was crystal blue-almost white in color with long white horns noticed Demetyr's collapsed form and immediately took an offensive stance. She hissed at Terrador, flicking her tail violently and almost striking Cynder in the same instance. Spyro jumped in the way and managed to knock her long tail back. She noticed his coloring with some interest; her violent behavior halted for a moment.

"Why is Demetyr hurt? What have you done to her, Dragon of Prophecy?" the Ice dragon growled threateningly.

"We've done nothing to her. She has overused her powers trying to protect and heal the Guardians and myself. She was recovering, but then there was a massive attack on the Temple that we had no chance of winning and we were forced to retreat here The journey has made her what you see before you," Spyro replied.

"A likely story. How do I know that those are really the Guardians? How I am supposed to know they aren't agents of the Dark Master that captured you and Demetyr and forced her to bring you to the next to last female dragons? You could all be evil…and I cannot take that risk," the female stated.

"…Back off, Icy. They are who Spyro…says they are. No one here is evil…not anymore, anyway," Demetyr murmured.

Icy turned her gaze away from the four dragons in front of her and faced the elder dragon as if for confirmation that what Demetyr said was true. The navy blue female with huge horns nodded once. Groaning, Icy turned her tail on the group and returned to her ranks among the other dragons her age. Everyone else relaxed, the tension now gone for they knew they were among friends. There was nothing to fear on this island far from the Dark Master's grasp.

Introductions were made. Thirrene, of course, was the elder blue Ice dragon. Voltrix was a slender Electricity dragon that was a brighter yellow than Volteer with horns that were like adult Demetyr's but slightly more curved. Eurasia was a bronze Earth dragon with horns similar to Terrador's, comprised of more muscles than many of her fellow females. Harpie was a dark green Earth dragon with small black horns protruding from the top of her head that were barely noticeable. Firene was a beautiful orange Fire dragon with long red horns that were kinda twisted in a manner that was uncommon. Heathrune was a lovely pink dragon with white horns similar to Spyro's. Other than Thirrene, the females were all thirty years of age, which was young for dragons but greatly outclassed the three youths of the group.

"I am glad to see that you are alive, Ignitus. When the attack on the Isle of Birth occurred and all the dragons fell, I thought for sure that the Temple had been decimated beforehand and the dragon race was truly on its last legs. But now that I know you are safe, we are not so lost after all," Thirrene said, her voice old but full of wisdom.

"Yes. But we cannot be completely safe until the Dark Master's forces are destroyed, and that is becoming harder by the day. And not all the dragons that fell in battle were killed, elder Thirrene. Gaul has kept them in his prisons for years, torturing and poisoning them like he did little Cynder in order to raise an army of dragons to attack us. He has succeeded, which was why we were forced to abandon the Temple. The Dark Master now has thirty-six dragons under his command, one of which is my dear sister. Fighting them would have been futile with our numbers. We seek refuge here until we can formulate a plan of attack," Ignitus told her.

Thirrene nodded and glanced at Demetyr. "No doubt you all will need rest after your long journey. We will discuss this matter more in the morning after you have rested and your hunger is sated. Harpie, show our guests to the Sanctuary. Firene and Voltrix, go hunt so they will not go to bed hungry. And Eurasia, please find food for our dragonfly friends. I doubt they eat the same things dragons do."

"We don't. But smaller bugs of any kind will do. Butterflies are the best…Mom used to give those to me all the time. She knew the best ways to serve them," Sparx put in with a sigh. Koi giggled at his statement; it was the first time he had spoken in a long time and she had missed the comedy of his words.

The dragons went to do as their elder had told them. Icy and Heathrune followed them to the Sanctuary while Thirrene went to do ancestors-knew-what. The Sanctuary was just like the Temple, only the dragon statues around the place were of the Harnesser instead of the other dragon. It felt good to be near something so close to home, though Spyro swore he saw Cynder cringe when she laid eyes upon the first Harnesser statue. Her hatred to the idol that had made her become evil would never fully fade, it seemed.

Terrador had carried Demetyr within the safety of the Sanctuary's walls and set her down like he had done the night he had saved her from the deadly plunge. His wings were extremely sore and he would have liked nothing better than to lay down beside her and sleep for the rest of time. The other Guardians and dragons looked like they felt the same way. Icy, Harpie, and Heathrune noted their weariness with concerned eyes, but there was nothing they could do for them. Icy did, however, come over to Demetyr's side. Amazingly, the white dragon was still awake despite the strain the journey had put on her body.

"It's been awhile, Demetyr. Is time having the opposite effect on you that it's having on the rest of us?" Icy teased, touching her friend gently with the tip of her tail.

Demetyr managed to smile. "No. I'm getting older just like everyone else…I just can't look older like I used to…My stupid heart wouldn't let everything run its course…I healed the Guardians too many times…used my time freezing ability too often…attacked too much. Stupid me, right?"

"Nah. You did the right thing. You just overdid it a bit," Icy remarked. "So is it true that the Dark Master has a dragon army now?"

"Unfortunately, it is true. Had we stayed a moment longer, we would have been killed," Terrador replied.

"…I'm sorry to hear that…I just hope that when we go against them, I won't see any familiar faces from my childhood," Icy murmured.

"Do you think that is what Thirrene plans to do? Lead you girls into battle with us?" Terrador asked.

Icy smiled charmingly. "Earth Guardian Terrador, we are not girls anymore. True, we are younger than you by a considerable amount of years, but we are not defenseless girl dragons. We've been honing our skills the whole time we've lived on this island and we've become great warriors that can face the Dark Master's forces should the occasion ever arise. A dragon army led by our former Fire Guardian, Ignitrix, seems to be that occasion. When we are all prepared, we shall indeed fly into battle with you. And we will win…no matter what."

"…No. Not no matter what. We will find a way…to release them from the evil possessing them," Demetyr stated.

"It's not possible. Once the Dark Master has a hold on someone, he will not relinquish it. The only option we've got is to eliminate the threat," Heathrune told her, as she and the others were listening to their conversation.

"That isn't true. Cynder was released from his control. It's possible to release the others as well," Spyro said.

"If somewhat very difficult…" Cynder muttered.

"That only worked because it was one evil dragon against the Dragon of Prophecy. Taking on that army with thirty-six evil instead of just one wouldn't be on the same terms. Besides, it could have just been luck that Cynder was released. The Dark Master knew he was going to be getting a larger army of more powerful dragons to replace Cynder. Maybe he thought she was worthless for losing a fight against Spyro and didn't want to control her anymore. Give the enemy another ally to bring their hopes up so it'll be more impressive when they come crashing down. This whole thing could be one big fluke set up to make us think we were getting the edge when we really were always losing. We must kill the dragons that are possessed," Icy declared bluntly, not considering anyone's feelings, especially not Cynder's.

When Demetyr saw the expression on Cynder's face when Icy was talking down about her, it changed something within her. She no longer saw the black dragon as the dark cretin that murdered the dragons she had lived with for so long or the reason the Isle of Birth had been desecrated by the apes. That was the evil Dark Master in the guise of Cynder. The real Cynder was kind-hearted, sensitive, and not a murderer. She didn't deserve this treatment, this twisted use of words against her. She deserved to be loved like she never got the chance to be…Spyro was handling half of it, the couple love part. It was up to Demetyr to give Cynder family love that every dragon should have experienced from the time they hatched.

So, before Spyro could give Icy a piece of his mind, Demetyr stepped in.

"Nothing is a fluke, Icy. Everything happens for a reason. Saying that Cynder being released because of worthlessness would be saying that there is no Dragon of Prophecy. Saying there is no Dragon of Prophecy would be saying there was no reason for the raid on the Temple. Saying there was no reason for the raid on the Temple would be saying there was no reason for the rescuing of my and Spyro's egg. Saying that would be saying there was no point behind the attack on the Isle of Birth. Saying that would say that all the lives lost that day because of the apes was for nothing. Saying that would be saying there was no Dark Master destroying our world. Calling Cynder's release a fluke is saying that everything we have ever believed and fought for…was all a lie and worthless.

"Cynder was never worthless and she never will be. She is one of the last dragons in this world, and one of the strongest. Not every dragon can be possessed by evil, then freed from it, and manage to still come out of bed even with the terrible memories of what she has done. In some ways, she is even stronger than me. If she can be saved, then so can Ignitrix and the others. If there's a way…rest assured that I will find it."

Cynder glanced over at her sister with surprise. Demetyr had no idea that they were related, and yet she was defending her. Demetyr hated Cynder, and yet she was defending her. The white dragon, weak and exhausted from all her efforts to protect her fellow dragons, had such a large heart that she was willing to protect her worst enemy, the reason so many of her closest friends had died. She couldn't help but smile as she thought about the kindness of her sister, the kindness Cynder didn't feel like she deserved to feel.

Icy looked at Demetyr for a moment, crimson eyes hard and observing. Then she sighed and turned her back on the white dragon.

"…Your ideas will end up getting us all killed," the blue-white dragon grumbled before walking away.

"At least they won't wipe out the dragon race," Demetyr mumbled.

"Well, that was weird. First, Demetyr wants to kill Darkness, which I wouldn't have had a problem with. Now she's sticking up for and defending Darkness. And you know what the problem is? I don't have a problem with that! Oh no…I'm becoming attached to the Darkness! Someone save me before she converts me to the dark side!" Sparx exclaimed, being overdramatic as usual.

"Oh, Sparx! You're so silly," Koi cooed, grabbing his arm affectionately with a huge smile on her face.

"And you are so cute. I could float here and flirt with you all night, but we're both very tired, so let's just hope our hostesses bring back the grub soon so we can get some shut eye."

The three dragons that were sent to find food returned quickly with enough food to feed twice the number of dragons and dragonflies present in the Sanctuary. Thirrene returned and they ate until they were full, though Demetyr struggled to get anything in her system except for a few mouthfuls of meat. Then she just curled up in the corner and let her fatigue engulf her entirely. Spyro, Cynder, and the dragonflies followed her example, as did the next youngest dragons. Only the Guardians and Thirrene remained awake.

"What did you do while you were gone?" Cyril asked.

"I froze a pool of water and contacted the dragons that still exist on other islands to see what they had to report about the dragon army. The Temple has been destroyed. Hardly anything remains where it once stood. It appears to be the work of a very powerful Earth attack. The army is long gone from there now, of course. Once they realized their target wasn't there, they left the rubble in search of you," Thirrene reported.

"There's no chance of them reaching us here, is there?" Volteer wanted to know.

"Not for a long time, Volteer. They would have to travel from their current location for about a year or so without stopping. Not even the girls you met could do that in their youth, and no doubt most of those the Dark Master is using are closer to my age. Even the wicked must rest."

"Will the other dragons be willing to fight this army if the need arose?" Ignitus inquired.

"They are in hiding as of now, but if you were to ask them to take up arms again, I am sure they would agree."

"…What will it come down to if we were to enter battle with this army? Would there be casualties and who would be the ones to fall?"

Terrador's questions were a bit unexpected, but Ignitus knew where he was coming from. The green warrior wanted to know what his chances of dying in that battle were and how long he would be able to protect Demetyr before he became overwhelmed. None of the other Guardians knew of Terrador's feelings, so they wouldn't be able to draw the same conclusions as Ignitus. But they would at least get what he was thinking about when it came to the deaths of dragons…particularly them.

Thirrene sighed. "…Terrador, that is something you wouldn't want to know before you went to sleep. Let us continue this conversation in the morning when the little ones are able to listen as well. We are all tired; let us not go to the dream realms with worries on our shoulders."

Rather than argue with his elder, Terrador sighed and walked away. He assumed the position he had been in during those days of watching over Demetyr, not caring about the others anymore. He was tired and wanted to be close to the dragon who was tiring herself for the sake of the dragon race. She was all that mattered besides the Dragon of Prophecy, and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before he died in that battle against the evil-possessed dragons. He was too old and tattered not to die along with the elder Ice Guardian and one or two of the other Guardians. Ignitus would definitely be a survivor. Volteer and Cyril…he wasn't so sure about.

And this wasn't including all the other possible dragons that would enter the fight on their side. To his knowledge, there were scarcely three hundred dragons left in existence, not including the dragon army. Most of them were around his age and had been in hiding for a long time, which probably meant they were in no condition to be fighting. Most of them would probably fall in battle against the dragon army. How many graves would the survivors have to dig? How many tears would be shed? How many hearts would be broken?

At least one, he was sure.

Demetyr's, for he would never let her die.

She would suffer from his death until she herself died.

And he would regret her pain, but it would be a necessary loss.

For she was the Protector of the Dragon of Prophecy.

* * *

In the old myths about the white dragons that very few believed, it was said that the white dragon might have been the most powerful dragon ever hatched, but its purpose was not to be ruler of the race. Along with the prophecy of the dragon that would defeat the Dark Master was the prophecy about a white dragon that would protect the purple Dragon of Prophecy during his weakest state of being when he had but one element at his disposal. Most creatures disregarded this, for almost all believed the myths of white dragons to be highly exaggerated tales of purple dragons.

This disregard also disregarded the fact that the very first dragon, the Mother of the Race now known as the Harnesser of Power, was recorded to have been a white dragon before turning herself into a golden idol that gave her children their elemental abilities. She had been, and still was, the most powerful dragon in existence. After her came a few other white dragons sparsely seen among the populace, for most white dragon eggs were accidentally smashed by surprised mothers and those that weren't were shunned by their race for their supposed power.

The prophecy for the white Protector of the Dragon of Prophecy stated that she would face his enemy and defeat them without blood being spilled on their part. This enemy wasn't claimed to be the Dark Master, so this further put a dull light on the greatness of the white dragons. But the prophecy went on to say what the white dragon did that day would forever shape the lives of the Dragon of Prophecy and the Earth Guardian of the time so they would never be the same. Blood would be spilled on the side of good, though it didn't say if it meant there would be death or not. There was a mentioning of the freeing of the Harnesser of Power from her golden state, but that too was taken as fiction.

But things were now being put in a new light with the reappearance of the powerful white dragon into the world during the time of the Dragon of Prophecy and the re-discovery of the Harnesser of Power. Perhaps the prophecies were right after all. But where would the blood come from, and who was their enemy that the white dragon would face?

And the most important question…

Would anyone die?

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_A/N: End of chapter, though the real end sounds like a better beginning for this whole story. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Sorry I've taken so long to update. Here's the next chapter. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 10

The warm touch of the sun woke the dragons the next morning, bringing them from the dream realms back into reality. Demetyr remained asleep, but that was expected because of her condition. Terrador reluctantly left her side to join the others. He knew she was safe here because of how far away any threat was, but he couldn't help but want to protect her always. She felt the same, of course. But she was too weak to protect anyone. She would have to rest for a few days before she even thought about entering battle.

The group ate what was left over from the night before, and then Thirrene led them to a room with a pool of water similar to the one Ignitus had used when they were in the Temple. Unlike his, the water was frozen. Perhaps this one wasn't meant to see visions, but had another purpose. Spyro looked at it questioningly.

"Young dragon, this is used to communicate with other dragons hiding from the Dark Master's forces," Thirrene told him, answering his unvoiced question. "Only Ice dragons can use this means of communication…or dragons that have to ability to master more than one element such as yourself. As long as a group of survivors has an Ice dragon with them, they will never be completely cut off from the rest of civilization. This is how we've kept informed of everything while living in the Sanctuary. This is our means of message and informer; anything we learn we relay while anything our allies know we can be told. It's quite useful in times such as these."

"Can they hear us now?" Cynder asked.

"Yes, they can hear us. If you glance at the surface, they'll be able to see you and you will be able to see them. Spyro, if you will…" Thirrene stepped aside, gesturing for the purple dragon to do as she had hinted.

Reluctantly, Spyro came over to the side of the ice pool. He stood on his hind legs to get a better look and rested his front legs on the rim of the pool. He almost couldn't believe what he saw in the ice. Instead of his own reflection, he saw a couple dozen blue dragons that were connected via their own ice pools. So many faces looked back at him, amazed by his appearance. They all looked older than him and the next oldest dragons; they seemed to be about the Guardians' age if not older. Many were scarred from battles, some more severely than others. The purple dragon was glad Demetyr wasn't there to see this; had she, she might have wanted to find them all and heal them of their wounds.

"The Dragon of Prophecy," one of the faces said, a male. "It is an honor to be in your presence, young one. We've long awaited your arrival to save us from the Dark Master's plight and make this world free. We are at your service."

"We are at your service," the other dragons repeated.

"Uh…thanks," Spyro murmured, unsure if that was the right thing to say.

"He will be safe here until we are ready to head into battle, as will his Protector. She will need a few days to recuperate because of a massive energy drain, but once she is at one hundred percent, you can be assured victory will be ours," Thirrene stated, now beside Spyro. "She has requested we not kill the dragon army, that we only free them from the Dark Master's evil manipulation…unless there is no other choice."

"How can we free them?" one of the other blue dragons inquired.

"…There might be a way," Cynder put in, standing at Spyro's side now. There was murmuring in the background as the dragons recognized her face, but it quieted down with one glare from Thirrene. "When the Dark Master had possession of me…I had to fight Spyro, the only dragon the Dark Master was afraid of. He beat the crap out of me, but that isn't what freed me from the Dark Master's control. I had this dark collar around my throat…Gaul put it on after the poison and torture had really broken me…That allowed the Dark Master to take complete control. If you destroy the collars, you'll sever the control. That's what Spyro did for me, which was why I returned to normal."

"Does the dragon army possess these collars?" Thirrene wanted to know.

"Yes. We've reports that all of them are wearing collars on their throats," another blue dragon replied.

"Would you be willing to help us when the day comes that we must enter battle with our own kind?" Spyro asked.

"For you, Dragon of Prophecy, we would be ready in a second."

_They would all lay down their lives for me...every dragon in existence, _Spyro thought nervously. _They all expect me to be some great savior of their race, the one who takes out the Dark Master's army and puts him away for good. What if I let them down? I'm only fifteen, one of the three youngest dragons known to still live. My childish mistakes could cost so many their lives...What if I fail everyone? How will they look at me then? What will Ignitus think of me? What will Cynder think of me? Will she be just as disappointed?_

In his moments of self-doubt, he managed to notice something he hadn't noticed before. Among the faces of the Ice dragons they were talking to, Spyro saw a slender blue head with the same evil gleam in her eye that Cynder had possessed once upon a time. No other dragon he could see was that thin, so he knew this dragon wasn't on their side.

"We're being watched by the dragon army," Spyro told them in serious tones.

A couple dozen faces turned towards the one he had noticed, finally realizing there was an enemy amongst them. She just sneered and laughed maniacally.

"You really believe you can free us from the Dark Master, foolish Dragon of Prophecy? Will you ever learn? When you fight against the forces of the Dark Master, it isn't about who you're fighting. Just because your race is your foe doesn't mean you hold back the death blows. Choices like that will just get you killed. But I won't mind that. Your death means the Dark Master, Lord Malefor, will be free to rule the world. And the reign of dragons will finally come to an end," the female evil dragon cackled.

"Enough, Shard. I wish to speak now," a different female voice said.

Grumbling profanities under her breath, Shard moved aside. She was replaced by the slender red dragon they had seen leading the dragon army earlier…Ignitrix. Ignitus moved in closer upon recognizing her face in the ice's reflection, and Spyro could've sworn he'd seen tears in the Guardian's crimson eyes. Ignitrix's expression softened when she saw her twin brother, but she was being possessed by evil and even she couldn't break free of that.

"Brother…do not spare us in battle. I know it will be hard for you to do, but you mustn't let the Dragon of Prophecy grow up thinking his foes can be spared just because they look like him. If you and the survivors wish to complete your goal of defeating my master, then you must overcome your hearts. You have Demetyr with you now. Use her to your advantage. I tell you this not because I am the same Ignitrix I was before. I say this because I want a real challenge when I am forced to tear you to ribbons," she stated.

"Ignitrix, if there is hope of saving you, we will go with it. It is not the decision of Spyro or even myself, but the decision of Demetyr. The other dragons have agreed to follow through with the plan so long as it is possible. We will not kill you…again," Ignitus remarked.

"You misunderstand, Ignitus. We did not die during our torture and poisonings. Rather, we became stronger. The Dark Master has given us power like none other. We will kill you if we face off, no matter how many of the survivors you bring to the fight with you. The only one we might spare is Demetyr…for she is the last white dragon that will ever be when we win. She will be of great use to Lord Malefor when he lives again…she can find the rest of the dragons and kill them all in the blink of an eye. You stand no chance with her on your side…with her as our weapon, you'd surely fall," Ignitrix boasted.

"You'll never get Demetyr," Ignitus growled.

"So you say…but then again you have no means to stop us," Ignitrix countered. "Goodbye to you all. We will see each other again soon."

With that, she sent a fiery blast to melt the ice pool and sever the connection. The other dragons that were still connected by their ice were a little on edge because of what had just transpired. Perhaps they were even beginning to have doubts about going into battle against the Dark Master's dragon army. Spyro exchanged worried glances with Cynder, wondering what would happen now that the leader of the enemy, Ignitrix, had asserted her authority and desire to make Demetyr one of them.

"Do not doubt our abilities, brethren. We have faced the great evil of the Dark Master before. Spyro has faced one of his dragons and won without dying or killing her. Surely we can do the same. And we will not allow them to take the Protector onto their side. When she is at full power, we head into battle! Who will be ready by then?" Thirrene demanded.

"We will!" chorused the dragons on the other side of the ice.

"Good! Now rest up! We never know when the enemy will strike you."

The connections were severed until the only faces in the ice were that of those looking into it. Ignitus melted the ice of their own pool before turning his back on it. He had seen a side of his sister that he had never wanted to see. Everything he had ever known about Ignitrix had been challenged by that one instance, that one conversation that wasn't even face-to-face. The Dark Master had twisted her to hurt him, of that he was sure. He didn't know if he could face her in battle and win, but he would indeed try…for her sake. It was enough for Malefor to transform his sister into a monster, but to go after Terrador with threats of taking Demetyr? There was no way Ignitus would let that go unpunished. He would find a way of hurting the Dark Master for hurting his closest friend.

And Terrador was indeed hurt. He was more afraid and in an emotional turmoil than he was hurt, though. It took all of his willpower to not run out of that room to be with Demetyr and make sure she was still there asleep. To even think that she could be used by the Dark Master to kill those she had lived to protect…it was impossible. What would the Dark Master need her for if he wanted to eliminate the dragon race, anyway? Was he planning on restarting it with her? Would she become the new Mother of the Race, giving life to pure evil? Terrador couldn't allow that. He had to protect her in the battle at all costs so that could never be her fate, regardless if he or one of the enemy dragons fell in battle.

"Elder Thirrene…is it possible to win this without casualties on either side?" Heathrune asked. They could speak truthfully now that other audience wasn't present.

The dark blue dragon sighed. "No. Some of the older dragons such as myself will fall. The enemy is strong and fueled by Malefor's strength. He was a powerful dragon in his time and his abilities are hard to go against. As for if the opposition will lose any lives… if there is no other choice, then our allies will kill them."

"What is our chance of pulling out of this with our lives?" Cyril inquired.

"You bear no marks of battle because of the healing magic Demetyr was given. Your chances are somewhat better than the rest of us older dragons. But I will not lie to you; you might be killed. If I were you, I would take advantage of the days we spend here to participate in the continuing of the dragon race. This is the Year of the Dragon, after all. If we don't mate, our race might die out, with or without the Dark Master's assistance," Thirrene pointed out.

"Isn't that a matter we shouldn't mention in front of the young dragons?" Ignitus muttered, as he noticed the blushes upon Spyro and Cynder's faces.

"Hey, with times like these, age shouldn't matter," Sparx put in. Koi just giggled, her own blush hidden by her coloring. "Your race is dying, anyway. So laying eggs earlier would actually be better for you guys. Though having kids with Darkness might make your penis fall off."

"Sparx!" Spyro and Cynder exclaimed, embarrassed and annoyed.

"Lighten up, you two. Sparx is just kidding," Koi said.

"Or am I?" Sparx taunted.

"You'd better fly away before you really make me mad," Spyro grumbled.

"Okay, I will fly away. But not because you told me to. I just want to get away from all these angry vibes you and Darkness are giving off. Woo. Talk about sexual tension. You'd better release it before it kills you or your reproductive parts," Sparx suggested before he and Koi quickly took off.

"It isn't right, elder Thirrene. There are fewer males than females. That means some of the Guardians would have multiple partners," Harpie pointed out. "I thought you told us that it was always one male one female during the Year of the Dragon, not one male and multiple females. Isn't this wrong?"

"Yeah, but do you want to continue the race or end it?" Voltrix muttered.

"I'm not taking any partners," Terrador grumbled bitterly before walking off.

"What's his problem?" Firene inquired as she watched him go.

"He just doesn't love us and feels it wrong to partner with those his heart doesn't long for," Eurasia told her.

Firene snorted. "Guess we're not good enough for his Guardian-ness. That jerk. I bet he's never been with a girl before. Perhaps he's a gay dragon."

"Don't you even suggest that, Firene! He is your elder, and you will not talk about him that way especially since he saved Demetyr from dying! Have you no manners?" Icy snapped, her tail striking the orange dragon in the face. "I can assure you that Terrador is not gay! He loves someone and will not stray from her even if it means the dragon race will fall apart! You're going to have to accept that!"

The orange dragon growled but otherwise gave no hint of caring that Icy had spoken. Thirrene sighed again, not liking how her announcement had sent everyone into an emotional turmoil.

"Let's not be hasty. Demetyr will not be fit for battle for days. There's no need to decide what you will do right now. Why don't we leave this place and not be serious for now? I am too old for all of this, anyway," she murmured.

The group dispersed, heading their separate ways. Ignitus found Terrador where he had suspected the green warrior to be-beside the sleeping Demetyr. The Earth Guardian did not look at Ignitus though the red dragon was sure he knew that he wasn't alone. He could only guess at what was on his closest friend's mind while he stood in silence, finding no words to say that could make any part of this war easier.

After some time, Ignitus laid down beside Terrador. He was too old to stand for so long and his legs were killing him. Terrador's eyes flickered in his direction, but otherwise he remained the way he had been before. The white dragon tossed and turned in her dreams that were probably nightmares, somewhat oblivious to the troubles of the real world, not knowing that she was wanted as a weapon for the Dark Master's evil uses just because she was perhaps the last with her abilities.

What troubles were befallen the youngest dragons left in existence…all three of the young dragons had their issues. Spyro, the Dragon of Prophecy, was wanted dead by practically everyone. Cynder, dragon once possessed by evil…well, that was problematic without anything else applied. Demetyr, the first white dragon in a very long time, had too big a heart and was wanted by the most evil creature to ever exist. Would the youths ever be able to be just children again?

"…She knows…" Terrador murmured suddenly.

Ignitus cocked his head to the side. "You told her, did you?"

"…Yeah…in a cryptic way when she told me to tell her a story. It came out in a way that caught both of us offguard," Terrador replied with a hint of a smile. "Turns out…she feels the same way."

"But you still haven't told her who her parents are…or that you loved the dragon that was her mother," Ignitus assumed.

"Of course not. That would be a _real_ pleasant conversation. 'I love you, Demetyr. By the way, your father was a Fire dragon named Thorn and your mother was an Ice dragon named Saphira. I tried to kill Thorn years ago because I was madly in love with Saphira. Is that a problem?' Yeah, she would kick my ass in a Tall Plains second if I told her that," Terrador grumbled.

"Well, you don't have to say it like that. You don't even have to come out directly with your love for Saphira. But before we leave this place to go into battle, you are going to have to tell her who her family was…and is. She deserves to know that she has been living with her sister for some time now, don't you agree?" Ignitus asked.

"Yes. But no time seems like the right time right now. How to tell her all of this…it never seems possible. She's been through so much for a dragon her age…Sometimes her experience makes her seem older than even us. It's hard to explain…especially since I'm the only one who feels like this that I know of. Ancestors damn it; I love her so much despite our age difference. And she feels the same. She trusts me as much as she trusts herself, and I fear that I might lose that trust if she finds out I've been keeping secrets from her."

"When the time is right, you will fear no longer. You will tell her the truth when the both of you are ready to face it."

"…I hope you are right, Ignitus." A pause, then, "I know we are on our last legs, but as I said earlier, I do not plan on taking a partner. With everything I have admitted to you, surely you understand my motives for not doing so."

"I understand, and though the last time you chose not to participate in the Year of the Dragon I followed your example, that will not be the case this time. I feel I should try to have a child before something happens that prevents that from ever being an option again. Besides…it's not like these girls are not pleasant to look at. They all are rather beautiful, aren't they?"

Terrador laughed. "I knew the old you was still under all that seriousness! Still checking out the females…You used to do that all the time when we were younger. And with all the skills you had, the females came to you like flies to honey. I'm surprised you have never been a father, what with you slipping away with a different girl every other night."

Ignitus blushed, but it wasn't noticeable thanks to his red scales. "Well, I'm surprised you still have never been with a female. You had just as many females after you all the time, and yet you turned them all down because your heart was after Saphira and Saphira alone. Even after she rejected you, you still never mated, not even during the Year of the Dragon when it came about. You are about the only dragon of our age that hasn't done so …what was keeping you from doing so?"

"My stupid, foolish heart that never wanted to let go of her. She was the only one I ever wanted to be with…before her daughter came along to take what remained of my heart away on diamond wings."

* * *

Spyro and Cynder stayed as far away from the adults as they could, not wanting to hear anything about mating or partners or participating in the Year of the Dragon. His parents had always told him that stuff was for adults and not for children's ears; he would learn of it the day he turned eighteen. Of course, Sparx had ruined that conversation for him about the time he was twelve because some of the dragonfly's older friends had filled him in on that stuff. But he still felt uncomfortable about the subject. So did Cynder. So they abandoned the Sanctuary and disappeared into the surrounding forest to avoid the courting. Once they had seen Volteer sweet-speed-talking Voltrix and then walking away with her, that was all that they needed to see.

He had no idea where Sparx and Koi were, nor did he care. Those two were always talking all mushy-gushy…so much so that listening to them just made Spyro feel sick to his stomach. Whatever they were doing, good for them, so long as they weren't being a lovey-dovey nuisance. All he needed was the company of Cynder, anyway.

The trees had flowers on them. A light wind was blowing throughout the island, taking with it some of the petals of the blossoms as it went. The sun cast its rays down on the duo, but it wasn't an unbearable heat. It hit Cynder's dark scales just right, making her look more beautiful than she already was. She seemed distracted as always with her own thoughts, but that was just a part of who she was as a dragon. Spyro could never ask for her to change; to do so would be asking for the moons and stars.

"Stop staring at me, Spyro," Cynder whispered, looking at the ground when she noticed his gaze.

"Oh…sorry," Spyro apologized, focusing his purple gaze on what was in front of him instead of her because she had requested him to look away.

"…How do you feel about what the elders were saying?" Cynder asked.

"You've got to be more specific than that. They spoke of two different subjects, you know. One that makes me very uncomfortable…and the other that frightens me," Spyro said.

"The one that frightens you…the part about the battle with the dragon army. How do you feel about that? I mean…to be honest, after hearing Ignitrix, I'm a little shook up and unnerved. They're so possessed by evil…they seem even worse than I did when I was in their place not too long ago. Shard didn't do anything to take away from that image, either. And if they destroyed the Temple, how are we to fight them and escape with our lives without being forced to kill them? It seems impossible to me…and I'm very afraid," Cynder admitted.

"Everyone's afraid, even the elders. I'm scared of all this, too, and I'm the one the Dark Master wants dead the most. Demetyr's probably the only one who isn't shying away from this because she didn't see Shard or Ignitrix in the ice. But we can take them and free them from his control. I believe in us. We can do anything," Spyro claimed, though he didn't sound as certain as he wanted.

"…Demetyr…My sister…She's the only reason we're not charging into battle right now. Perhaps her tiring herself wasn't such a bad thing after all. Spyro, when we do face this evil dragon army, I can promise you this. I will protect you and my twin with my life. I owe you both that with everything I've done in my past…my life would be well-spent if I lost it protecting the ones that matter the most to me," Cynder told him quietly.

"But Cynder…I don't want to lose you in any way…not after I risked everything to save you," Spyro stated. "I will protect _you_ with _my_ life when we face the army."

"Your life is worth more than mine. You shouldn't trouble yourself with my safety."

"I could say the same thing about you."

"I'm not the one destined to save the dragon race."

"So? You're still important to me. You have a purpose set for you no one knows. Can't you live long enough to see the great dragon you'll become, the great dragon that I already see?"

Cynder sighed and gave Spyro a small smile. A pink blossom fell from the tree above and landed right next to one of her large white horns. She gave it an odd glance before laughing. The sound was one Spyro hadn't heard before; it was a beautiful sound that he wished to hear more of. She shook her head to make the blossom fall and looked at her purple companion.

"All right, Dragon of Prophecy. Whenever we must fight, we shall protect each other to the best of our abilities. That shouldn't be too hard for you. You can, after all, manipulate time to do whatever you want," Cynder remarked. "I don't need you covering me the whole time. I can fight on my own. Just be there to catch me if I fall, okay?"

"Okay," Spyro replied with a smile.

Cynder grinned before turning childish on him. She touched him with her white claws, called him 'it', and then ran off before he could catch her. He couldn't help but think of the irony of a once killer acting in such a manner. But that didn't stop him from playing the game. He chased after her faster than he ever went after Sparx in the past.

* * *

"Hold your ground! Do not let them overwhelm you!" Ambrosia commanded as she led the guards in a defensive attack against the Dark Master's forces.

They hadn't been expecting an attack for at least a month, but it seemed Demetyr had not thought of other dread-wings bringing in more apes to take over the Isle of Birth. So far, the inhabitants of the island were holding off well without their white dragon leader. But as always, the enemy had the numbers advantage.

"Come on, men! Kick some ass! These apes are pieces of shit! They aren't worth your claws, they're not even worth dung-beetles' meals! Kill them before they desecrate our home any further! Make the ground run red with ape blood!" Ambrosia shouted.

A couple of apes glared at her, but she wasn't afraid. She was the only dragonfly that was brave enough to remain out of hiding. Demetyr had left her in charge; she couldn't turn tail and run just because of these guys. What would that say about her as a dragonfly? If she left in the heat of battle, she would be worse than that maggot Sparx her sister had fallen for. She could never be worse than Sparx.

One of the larger apes who had heard her insults managed to get past the carnivore guards. In his hand was the curved blade most of the apes carried, and the way he was looking at Ambrosia suggested to her that he planned on using the weapon to hurt her. She could easily maneuver herself away from his reach because of her wings and that blade wouldn't do anything at all. She could easily be safe…or she would have been had another stupid ape not snuck up behind her and grabbed her in a way that she couldn't fly anywhere.

She hated situations like this, but even in the face of possible death, she wasn't afraid of the apes. The green-and-purple dragonfly just glared at the one with the weapon and cursed him under her breath. The ape seemed particularly mad that a bug wasn't trembling in fear of him, so when he swung his weapon the strike was more aggressive than it would have been.

Ambrosia closed her eyes as she felt the blade tear into her…

* * *

_A/N: Cliffhanger ending! What did you think? Please tell me. Yeah, this chapter was kinda adult-ish with the mentioning of mating and stuff, but oh well. At least Spyro and Cynder got a scene in there. Thank you for reading._


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Once again, sorry for not updating quicker. Thanks to those who have reviewed, namely Zerospyro. Here's another chapter for your enjoyment. Please read on.

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Chapter 11

Three days later, Demetyr opened her eyes. Many days of nothing but sleep had helped her to recover most of her energy, but if she planned on going into battle, she would need at least four more days of rest to be at her fullest. She was glad to be up; now she had escaped the dream realm of tormenting fantasies. The white dragon stretched and stood, looking around to see if anyone was in the room other than her. Not even her beloved Terrador was to be found. She wandered over to the doors of the Sanctuary at the same time they were opening on their own because of someone else.

It was Icy, not Terrador, that walked through those doors. She smiled down at her smaller friend, unaccustomed to the difference in size because Demetyr had usually been casting her illusions to look the same. But the smile didn't reach her crimson eyes. If anything, Demetyr thought she looked grimmer seeing that the white dragon was up. What had happened while she rested? Why was Icy faking happiness for her? What was going on?

"You must be hungry, Demetyr," Icy said, aware of the white dragon's questioning gaze. "Let's go hunting with the others. It will be just like old times on the Isle. What do you say? Are you up for it?"

It would have been rude to turn her down, especially since Icy was her best friend and gracious host. But it wouldn't just be a hunt for food. It would also be a hunt for answers to what she had missed while recovering from her energy drain. She agreed and followed the blue-white dragon out of the Sanctuary.

Eurasia and Voltrix were waiting just outside for them, the same kind of fake smile on their faces. The bronze Earth dragon was more convincing since she was so sweet, but even she was starting to break. They all knew something Demetyr did not, but she planned to find out the moment opportunity presented itself. They all told her that if she needed help with her hunt, they would be more than willing to do so. She just grinned and thanked them for their offer.

"Terrador, Ignitus, Spyro, and Cynder started out before us," Voltrix told them as they started towards the thickest forests on the island. "With any luck, we might be able to intersect them."

"I bet Demetyr's hoping for that," Eurasia teased, lightly poking the white dragon with her tail.

"Why do you say that?" Demetyr asked, trying to play dumb.

"Don't try to deny it. The way that he turned down having a partner and how he's always at your side…it says everything. And you never turned away from him. True, you were unconscious for the past three days. But I bet you wouldn't have turned away from him even if you weren't," Eurasia replied.

"…You guys took mates?" Demetyr inquired. She was trying to avoid the subject of her and Terrador for good reason.

"Well, not all of us," Voltrix admitted, talking slowly for once.

"She slipped off with Volteer a few times and laid an egg," Icy remarked, causing the gold dragon to blush. "Harpie and Firene have been with Cyril-" Demetyr detected a hint of distaste when she said the Ice Guardian's name-"and Heathrune has been with Ignitus. Me and Eurasia are the only females our age that haven't been with anyone, and Terrador is the only male his age that hasn't been with anyone. I don't like any of the guys here… and Eurasia is too bashful for her own good when it comes to guys. And we all know why Terrador refuses to take a mate."

"I don't," Demetyr murmured.

"There are actually two reasons why. His past love, and his present love," Eurasia said. "Did you know he has never been with a female dragon in all his years? Unlike other dragons, he thinks it is wrong to lay with one your heart doesn't belong to. First it was the Ice dragon Saphira, and now it is you."

Before Demetyr could ask about Saphira, a herd of deer came into sight. All four female dragons took their stealthy hunting poses and crept silently towards the herbivores. The white dragon knew they were expecting to have to help her and was planning on surprising them. She leapt right at the largest buck amongst the herd, teeth flashing right at his throat. The buck was so taken aback by her sudden appearance that he stumbled back. If it was any other hungry fifteen-year-old dragon, he might have been able to get away. But her diamond-like scales blinded him as the sun reflected off of them, and she was able to make him fall. The rest of the herd scattered; the three other dragons had to hurry to bring down their own kills. The stag knocked Demetyr off of him with his huge antlers, but he was too far gone by drowning in his own blood to get away. The blow was enough to force Demetyr into a tree and bruise her wing, but she had succeeded in proving that even in her weakened and tiny state, she could hold her own without help.

"You'll never be able to stomach all of that," Icy pointed out, standing over the doe she had slain.

"I'm willing to share," Demetyr told her, "but only if you guys fill me in on what I missed while I was unconscious."

The three older females exchanged glances. They looked reluctant to disclose that information to her. However, their kills were much smaller than hers, and they seemed a little famished themselves. So they would have to get over their anxious feelings and tell her everything, regardless of if they wanted to or not.

Icy told her about their plans for attack as they tore into the slain deer. The ice-mirror incident came up, and Demetyr was a little more than shocked to hear how evil her former leader had become. Shard had always been somewhat iffy with her attitude, so that Ice dragon's words weren't too surprising. But Ignitrix was always so kind and peaceful, not a fighter at all. How could being evil turn such a gentle giant into a monster like that? Demetyr would never understand…

Somehow the mentioning of what the Dark Master might do with Demetyr slipped from Voltrix's mouth, whose eyes immediately widened. Icy and Eurasia glared at her; apparently, the white dragon wasn't supposed to know that little tidbit of information… She wasn't supposed to know that the Dark Master wanted to use her as one of his minions of evil. What would happen after he had succeeded in killing off the dragon race and coming back to life? Would he take her as his mate and force her to restart the dragon race the way he imagined it? Was there any resisting his power? Or would she just become his plaything, his nightly pleasure and mother of his race of evil? Just thinking about her possible evil future made her shiver.

Demetyr hadn't even eaten her fill, but she no longer had an appetite. She gave the remaining portion of her stag to Voltrix, who was going to need the extra fuel in order to keep her egg safe. Her sudden desire of not wanting to eat didn't go unnoticed, but Icy knew the white dragon well enough to know she shouldn't try to get her to talk about her feelings.

There was a rustling in the trees behind the female dragons. It was the others who had been hunting: Ignitus, Terrador, Spyro, and Cynder. Their eyes almost immediately noticed Demetyr and they smiled, glad to know she was finally awake. But their smiles quickly faded when they saw her expression.

"Are you all right, Demetyr?" Terrador asked, touching her gently with the side of his tail.

Not trusting her own voice, Demetyr just shook her head.

"Voltrix opened her loud mouth and told her _everything_ that she missed while unconscious," Icy explained.

"I said I was sorry!" Voltrix shouted. "It just came out before I could catch myself!"

"…So…she knows what the Dark Master plans on using her for?" Ignitus inquired.

"Yeah…and I can imagine that her imagination is running and twisting this all into some horribly evil future she might be forced to live," Icy muttered.

Terrador sighed morosely. He was hoping that Demetyr would never find out what the Dark Master was hoping to use her for, or at the very least that he would be the one to tell her. But now she knew, and if he knew her as well as he thought he knew her, she was probably thinking the same thing he had…that she would become the mother of a dark race of dragons. Unintentionally and without his realizing, his tail wrapped around her in a comforting manner. She didn't seem to mind at all. If anything, she seemed to welcome the contact.

"If you guys are done eating, we should return to the Sanctuary," Cynder remarked, as they had already eaten.

Demetyr didn't move at first, and because of her reluctance, Terrador remained where he was. Then she managed to gather enough strength to walk forward, if somewhat slower than everyone else. Ignitus and the females walked ahead of them, but Spyro and Cynder hung back with the only other dragon their age and her protector. It was very surprising to Spyro that a dragon that had been through so much already was reacting in such a manner to a possible future. All the other eggs had been smashed, she had been separated from the only family she had (Cynder), almost everyone she had known in her young years was either dead or evil, she had almost died on several occasions…and yet she was being so _dead_ over something that hadn't even happened yet. This was strange, even for her.

"Spyro, stop staring at her like that," Cynder snapped quietly, noticing his odd gaze in her sister's direction.

Quickly, the purple dragon averted his gaze as to not piss the black dragon off. Demetyr herself was aware of what he had been doing, but was too depressed to say anything…too lost in her own thoughts and nightmares to let him know why she was in such a state over what appeared to be nothing to him. She wasn't a mind reader, but his expression was explanation enough for what his thoughts were.

"…Demetyr…There is something I must disclose to you," Cynder stated suddenly, catching everyone offguard.

The white dragon managed to raise her cobalt eyes from the ground to the black dragon upon hearing these words.

"…I…visited the Harnesser of Power before we were forced to abandon the Temple to ask her about who I really was, and why the Dark Master had chosen me to be his servant over the rest of the eggs in the Temple," Cynder told her. "…I got more than I bargained for…with my questions…and found out some things…that took me completely by surprise. I was chosen because of my bloodline. My father was a powerful dark red Fire dragon by the name of Thorn…and my mother was a powerful sapphire blue dragon by the name of Saphira."

Demetyr's eyes flickered at the mentioning of Saphira and Thorn. Terrador had brought up Thorn once…before he had told the story that ended up with them confessing their feelings for one another. And Saphira had just been brought up by Eurasia not too long ago. They were Cynder's parents?

"Saphira laid two eggs in the same night…that's also something the Harnesser admitted to me," Cynder continued. "One of those eggs was mine, of course. But the other was one more special than my own…one so special that the Harnesser had Terrador hide it in her tunnels and then released into the river after the raid on the Temple…one that grew to lose so much…one who had at her disposal great abilities that exceeded those of the purple dragon. That night, Saphira laid a black egg…and a white one. Yin and yang. Me…and you."

Silence followed this statement, and no one moved another step further. The emotion that most of them felt at that moment was shock. For some, it was shock that Cynder had told this information to Demetyr. For others, it was shock that Cynder was related to Demetyr. Demetyr was one of those dragons at first, but then her mind began to remember the other things that had been said that day, and from that shock stemmed an unexpected emotion: anger.

She turned her bitter cobalt gaze on Terrador, who didn't understand why she was mad because he did not know what Eurasia had told him.

"You tricky son of a bitch! How dare you use me like that!" Demetyr exclaimed, lashing out at him with her somewhat short tail. "You loved my mother, and now that she's dead, you turned your eyes on her daughter! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! How dare you do this to me! You never really loved me, did you? You only wanted Saphira, and I was the closest thing to her!"

Terrador was taken aback by her outburst. _How does she know that I loved Saphira?_

"It's not like that, Demetyr! Please, let me explain-"

"I've had enough of your lies! Leave me alone, Terrador! I hate you!" Demetyr hissed, cutting him across the face with her claws when he tried to be at eye level with her.

And then she ran off into the forest in which they had been leaving, too emotional and pissed to be around them anymore without severing hurting someone. Terrador's cheek stung where she had clawed him, but that was nothing compared to what her words had done to his heart. She had said she hated him…that was even worse than when Saphira had left him for Thorn. An old wound that lie forgotten was opened afresh on his heart, and even he, the great warrior dragon, could not stop himself from shedding a few tears.

"…I'm sorry, Terrador. I didn't realize how badly she would take this. I had no idea you were involved with our mother," Cynder apologized.

"…It's not your fault…I should have told her all of this earlier," Terrador murmured, turning his face away from her. "The only thing I did not understand…is how she found out about my relations with Saphira."

"…That would be my fault. We were talking about who had picked mates…and we said there were two reasons why you had refused to take one…her and Saphira. I'm sorry, Earth Guardian Terrador. I had no idea she was Demetyr's mother," Eurasia admitted nervously.

"As I said to Cynder, it is not your fault," Terrador said. "…I should go talk to her…and come clean about everything I've been keeping a secret from her."

"You should, but not now. Demetyr is in a rage and feels betrayed. Give her time before you seek her out or your relationship will become even more strained," Ignitus advised.

"She shouldn't be out there alone. I mean, there's no danger here from our enemy, but nature isn't actually the gentlest force to reckon with when one is angry. Someone should go watch over her that she isn't mad at," Spyro pointed out.

"She was sent to protect you with her life, and I suppose in turn it is your duty to watch over your Protector. Since you have the lesser chance of suffering from her wrath, I suppose you could be the one to make sure she does not harm herself. The rest of us will return to the Sanctuary. Seek out Terrador when it seems Demetyr is not so angry," Ignitus instructed.

"…Terrador…I don't want you setting one foot into the Sanctuary until you have made things right with Demetyr," Icy growled, turning her icy gaze on the older dragon. "You have hurt my best friend, and in a way, you've made me hurt her. You want to know how that is? I was the one who started teasing her about you two, and that led into Eurasia bringing up Saphira. If you would have told her earlier about all of this…" Icy took a deep breath to stop herself from going off on her elder. "Just know this, Earth Guardian. If I see you again before Demetyr is informed of your past, I will kick your ass, regardless of what elder Thirrene thinks about my behavior."

From that point, the dragons went three different ways: Spyro in the direction that Demetyr had run off in, Terrador stationary, and the others towards the Sanctuary.

* * *

Koi felt sicker than ever before and was in so much pain that she couldn't even move a muscle without being overcome with nausea. She had been like this for a few days now… three or something like that. One moment, she had been flirting with her beloved Sparx and about to get her first kiss…and then it hit her. It took a bit of quick movement on her part to keep herself from throwing up on Sparx. Her tiny dragonfly body had collapsed onto a flower, and that was where she had remained ever since. Sparx was very worried about her and was wondering what could have possibly put her into this condition. Koi didn't know, but checking through her elven mind she picked up an interesting tidbit of information that might explain it.

Elves that had siblings they were close to were extremely sensitive to their physical condition. If one elf had a cold, the sibling that was very close to that elf would suffer from it as well. If that elf got his arm cut off in battle…that wouldn't happen to their sibling, but it would feel like it had. If that elf received a fatal wound and was fighting for his life…their sibling would be put in the same predicament. Some survived, but that was uncommon.

Ambrosia wasn't an elf; she was a normal dragonfly like Koi had been not even a month ago. But she was a very close sibling to Koi…she was the only family Koi had left and they were closer than sisters. So if the pink-and-blue dragonfly was feeling this sick and the elven thing was true, then this could possibly mean that…

Ambrosia was in trouble.

With this realization, Koi sat up without thinking. A wave of pain and nausea hit her so quickly that she couldn't stop herself from vomiting. She barely had anything in her stomach from all the times she had gotten sick; soon it would just be dry heaves. Luckily, she had never vomited on Sparx, who was holding her hand and floating loyally at her side. But her own sickness no longer mattered.

"Lay back down, baby. You're in no condition to be sitting up," Sparx whispered, pushing her back down gently with his free hand.

"Sparx…" Koi gasped. Ancestors, it hurt to even speak! "…Something bad has happened …to Ambrosia…That is why I'm so ill. It's…because of me being elven. I feel…her pain …I die if she dies…"

"Whoa…So you're saying that Ambrosia is dying of food poisoning?" Sparx asked.

"…Not necessarily. Our pains won't be the same…she could have any kind of fatal problem going on. If she dies…there's a small chance I'll survive…but don't count on it. Just know…that the Isle of Birth is having problems…and it isn't as safe as…Demetyr led us to believe…Perhaps she didn't know what would happen when she left," Koi stammered.

"But Koi…I don't want to lose you…especially not this way."

"I…I don't want to lose you, either. I…I love you, Sparx."

"I love you, too, baby."

Despite the fact that she was very ill and had vomited several times, Sparx placed his lips onto hers. She somehow managed to overcome the pain enough to kiss him back; this was her first kiss and even though it wasn't under the best of conditions, it was very much as she had imagined it would be when she found the right guy. Then they pulled apart, and she was hit with a fresh wave of pain that made her sick again. Instead of turning away like he usually did, Sparx just waited for her to finish and then ever so slowly picked her up in his arms. He sat where she had been lying for so long and held her gently, trying to soothe her pain.

She had never loved him so much until then.

* * *

Spyro watched Demetyr from a distance, completely unaware of what his brother was going through at that moment because he was too busy following his duty. The white dragon was fast, even when she wasn't using her illusions. He had to run twice as fast as usual just to keep her in sight. Then she had slowed down and just walked along, her head hanging. The sun wasn't a nuisance here; the trees blocked out most of its rays so that Spyro wasn't blinded by their reflection off her scales. But even without the sun and being close to her, he could tell she was crying.

He had never suspected Terrador and Demetyr of being in love. In his naivety, he had assumed their relationship was much like his and Ignitus's. But now that everything had been admitted, he came to realize the clues he had overlooked earlier. It was plainly clear that they had always expressed feelings for one another; they had just been good at covering it up.

Love was something that Spyro never wanted to think about. Before, when he had seen couples or kissing, he would gag and avert his gaze. But he was getting to be the age where his views on love were changing, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for Demetyr. Terrador was at fault here for keeping so many secrets from her. He should have told her about his relations with Saphira the moment he knew how she felt about him. If he was put in a similar situation with Cynder, that was what Spyro would have done. All ill feelings would have been dealt with beforehand.

_Love is overrated,_ Spyro thought carelessly, forgetting his own feelings for a certain dragon that he was going to protect in battle in just a matter of days. _All it does is cause those involved unnecessary pain. Just look at what it has done to Demetyr and Terrador. Both are powerful warriors and they've been demeaned into heartbroken teary-eyed... well, I'm not sure what they are now. But they're definitely not acting like the warriors they truly are. How can love do this to dragons? I hope this never happens to me._

But it had already happened to him, regardless of if he was aware of it or not. The day he had chosen to save Cynder instead of letting her disappear into the dark realms that held Malefor…that had been an act not of a noble warrior. Well, not completely, anyway. And ever since that moment in time, ever since he made that choice…he had been falling for Cynder. He just wasn't aware of it yet.

So, unaware of the secrets his own heart held, he observed the tragedy that can be the result of misplaced love in someone who was the same age as him and wondered what love was really all about.

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_A/N: A rather pointless chapter, but one that had to be written. There were some short but somewhat necessary scenes in here, namely the one with Sparx and Koi because I've been neglecting them for some time. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading, and I hope you will review._


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thanks for reviewing or reading or both. I know this story has some out-there moments and some boring moments, and I'm glad to see that some people still stick to this despite its flaws. Here's another chapter for your reading pleasure. Please read on.

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Chapter 12

Sparx knew he needed to act fast. Koi was looking sicker than ever, and if what she said had been true, the Isle of Birth was probably far worse. He needed to get to that island and save its inhabitants, for Koi's sake as much as Ambrosia's. He had his quarrels with that green-and-purple dragonfly, but she had to live long enough to see that he had kept his word to protect her sister from the enemy. 'Course, she might kick his ass for leaving Koi when the elven dragonfly was so weak, but it would be worth it if it saved their lives.

There was only one problem…

How was he to get there from an island that took dragons a full year to reach?

Only magic could help him accomplish that. As much as he hated to bug his sick little Koi, she was the only one that might have the powers to teleport him. None of the dragons could possibly have that ability, or else they wouldn't have needed Demetyr to freeze time in order for them to get here in the first place. He worried what performing magic might do to Koi, and he spent many hours deliberating the decision.

_If she does it, I'll be able to save countless lives. I'd get to be the hero for once, _Sparx thought as he flew back and forth in front of Koi, who was asleep. _But what if doing the spell uses too much of her energy? What if it just makes her sicker and ends up killing her? And what if I get there and the sight of so many enemies makes me freeze up? The Isle, Koi, Ambrosia, and I would all be doomed. Gah! This is so hard. I don't see how Spyro can make hard decisions like this. There's so much at stake...even the smallest mistake could ruin everything. Maybe I should just let fate play itself out._

He stopped flying for a moment and glanced over at his girlfriend. Her color was drained, but somehow she managed to look very peaceful in her sleep. The light hit her just right and gave her the appearance of a sleeping angel in his eyes. It looked as if she could lay there forever. And if he didn't act quickly, that might be the case. The golden dragonfly fluttered back over to her side and caressed her face gently so he wouldn't wake her up. She felt hot to the touch, hotter than before. She didn't have much time left.

_...I...I can't stand to lose her. She's the first girl I've ever really loved...If she were to die, I don't know...if I'd be able to go on, _Sparx thought. _I guess if there's a way to save her, I've got to take it. As long as I'm aware of the risks, that should be all that matters. That's it. There's only one thing I can do._

"…Baby, I need to ask you something," Sparx whispered, waking Koi up.

Her eyes fluttered open slightly. "…What is it, Sparx? Ask me anything."

"Can you teleport me to the Isle of Birth?"

Koi's eyes widened. "…You want to go there and fight off whatever has harmed Ambrosia! But…but you'll be-!"

"I have to try to save you, Koi. I can't just sit here watching you die when there's a chance that I can help you and Ambrosia. I know the risks, but like you, I'm not a normal dragonfly. I've been best buds with a dragon and his abilities have rubbed off on me. I can take care of myself and save everyone, and that in turn might save you," Sparx stated.

"At…at least take one of the dragons with you," Koi pleaded.

Sparx shook his head. "They have another battle they must prepare for, one that will require all of their strength. And they've got that ritual mating thing going on that their race is depending on. I cannot bother them. I have to do this alone."

Koi couldn't say anything to that. Too many tears were pouring from her eyes and her emotions were making it impossible to talk. Sparx wished he could take her tears away, but he would have to save her life first.

"Listen, baby. I wouldn't be taking this risk if it wasn't necessary. If I don't do something, then you're going to die. We don't want that. To me…you're worth more than the stars in the sky and even the Dragon of Prophecy…even though he's my brother. You have to let me do this, and trust that I will return to you just the way I am now. I love you, Koi, and that's why you've got to let me try to save you."

"…I barely have enough energy…I can only teleport you once. You won't be able to return in the same means…that you'll leave."

"Then we'll meet again where the Temple once stood when the dragons enter battle with the Dark Master's army of evil."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope _not_ to die."

Koi struggled to sit up so that she could use her magic. Because of her illness, her energy was lacking immensely. She couldn't even shift into her elven form anymore. But she could focus and send Sparx away to the Isle of Birth; of that, she was certain. Once he was gone, she wouldn't be able to call him back. But he was willing to go there, knowing he couldn't come back, for her sake and she couldn't talk him out of it. She kissed him one last time before casting her foreign spell.

And then he was gone.

The pink-and-blue dragonfly collapsed back onto the flower, weaker than ever after that. None of the dragons had walked passed her before, but now Terrador was for some reason in this area. He heard her moan from her pain and glanced down at her, wondering what was wrong. She didn't have the strength to explain anything at the moment, but Terrador was no fool. He understood that she needed help and carefully lifted her from her flower with his claws. She was then taken away towards the Sanctuary, where the other dragons could deal with her.

But only one person could have a chance of saving her…

And that was Sparx.

* * *

Sparx found himself on the Isle of Birth, but things weren't like they had been when he had last been there. The place was overrun by apes, and all of the creatures were either dead or in cages. He made himself scarce before the enemy could see him, not wanting to end up in the same situation as the others and not wanting to reveal himself so soon. The dread-wings were on the ground for the time being, so he flew up as high as he could to scout the entire island. Everything was the same; the one half of the island was already desecrated and the apes were busy making the other look the same.

He found a few of the tigers that were weakly guarded and destroyed the apes that were there before releasing the captives. They were a little on the thin and banged up side, but they were still alive. They could help him.

"…You're that bug that was with the Dragon of Prophecy," one of the tigers recalled. "How'd you get here?"

"That doesn't matter right now. What happened to this place?" Sparx asked.

"I think…that they were planning on bringing more apes here and Demetyr wasn't aware of that when she left. They came when we weren't expecting it…we fought our hardest to keep them from overrunning the island. But we weren't strong enough and they captured us if they didn't kill us," the tiger replied. "They've been tearing the Isle apart ever since they beat us down."

"What happened to Ambrosia? Wasn't she in charge? Did they kill her?" Sparx wanted to know.

The tiger shook his head. "It's not from lack of trying. She was the only one that couldn't fight that stayed out here with us. She kept us fighting even when we had no fighting spirit left with her rallying cries. The apes grew tired of her insults…one grabbed her from behind and a larger one slashed her with his scythe. But that ape was so stupid that the blade didn't go deep enough to kill her. They threw her into a cage and are torturing her out of sport. It's only a matter of time until they grow bored and finish her off."

"The leader of this assault has her," a different tiger put in. "It's amazing he hasn't killed her yet. The rumors are he has even killed some of his own kind when they've ticked him off or wasted his time."

"How many enemies would you say are on this island right now?" Sparx inquired.

"Somewhere around a thousand. They always come in great numbers because of them being weak and stupid," the second tiger replied.

"That's a huge number…but I think I can take them all," Sparx said.

At that, the first tiger snorted. "You? But you're nothing more than a dragonfly. How can you fight armed apes that are a hundred times your size?"

"I'm best buds with a dragon, and that pays off. Just trust me. Out of the ten of us, I'm in the best condition," Sparx pointed out. "Now listen. I'm going to distract these guys by killing them off. They'll probably be stupid enough to come after a fighter and leave the ones in cages alone. While I'm killing them, release the others and head for a safe place if there are any on this island. Whatever you do, don't try to save me if things go badly. Just rescue your fellows and get the hell outta here. Can you do that?"

"Well, I guess there's nothing else we can do," the second tiger grumbled.

"All right then. Prepare to charge on my mark."

Slowly and silently, Sparx and the nine tigers he had freed crept towards the center of the island, avoiding the apes as they went. No one saw them despite Sparx's brightness, which was incredible. In the center of the island, most of the apes and their dread-wings were gathered. Some of them were in makeshift tents; others were just walking around aimlessly. The biggest tent of them all held the largest ape of them all, and that was where Ambrosia was being held captive as she slowly died. And since most of the apes were here, most of the captives were here, too.

Sparx glanced back at the tigers and nodded once. Then he summoned the only element he knew, fire, and put it to good use. He shot it out at the tents and set them ablaze, causing the apes to freak out. Some of the apes caught fire and tried to put themselves out by running around in circles, but that didn't work too well. They wondered where the fire had come from, but most of his enemies didn't have a chance to link the flames to him. He took them out too fast. The others quickly learned and went on the offensive after Sparx once they spotted him.

The tigers he had freed were busy breaking the abandoned cages that held their friends within their wooden bars, but they could see what Sparx was doing out of the corner of their eyes. The two that had spoken with Sparx were a little surprised by the dragonfly's abilities. Never had they imagined that a bug could cast elements at its enemies. But they had no time to wonder at his amazing attack power. There were others throughout the island that needed to be freed, and the apes that hadn't been in the center were now coming quickly to join in the fight. They rushed out of the area once the last cage in the center was opened, leaving Sparx to fend for himself.

The little golden dragonfly had taken out all of the smallest and stupidest apes. Now he was left with the ones that threw bombs, the large ones that took Spyro forever to kill, and their dread-wings. The ape in the largest tent hadn't come out yet, but Sparx knew that taking him on would be very hard if he managed to get that far. He sent a wave of fire at the ones that were trying to assault him now, killing a few and knocking back most. They recovered quickly and tried again. Again, he knocked them back and killed a few. The process kept repeating itself, but the whole time, Sparx felt something stronger rising inside of him. It felt like the fire that was already inside of him, only much more potent and powerful. He just had to wait for the right time to unleash this power.

And that time came quickly, when he was completely surrounded and his normal fire attacks were not doing too much.

He let out a huge Fire Fury, the first ever done by a creature that wasn't a dragon in recorded history. All the apes were immediately destroyed, for they were unable to withstand the flames and the power behind them. The only ape that didn't die from his attack straight off was the largest one that had captured Ambrosia; he was merely injured severely. All the tents were history now. The largest ape collapsed on the ground as the fire put itself out. The cage that Ambrosia was lying in fell beside him, partially burnt.

Sparx flew over to that ape and made sure he was dead before coming to Ambrosia's aid. He broke the burnt part of the cage and pulled her out, trying to keep from getting sick as he looked at the stubborn green-and-purple dragonfly that he had hated.

One of her wings was missing. The lower part of her was cut open and some of her insides were hanging out. There were several smaller gashes all over her, along with many bruises of different shades and a few places where they had just poked her with the tip of their blades and blood had come out. She needed some serious medical help. It was no wonder Koi was so ill. How could Ambrosia still be alive?

With the coast clear, everyone came out of hiding. They all saw him as a hero because of what he had done for them, but that didn't matter. He needed to find someone who could heal Ambrosia right then.

"Can any of you help her?" he asked.

A female spider monkey said she could and took the dragonfly off of his hands. She told him it would take a couple of hours and that he wouldn't want to be around when she worked on Ambrosia unless he wanted to be sickened, and that it would be best if he put himself to work in order to forget about his friend. Sparx tried, but forgetting about his girlfriend and her sister's lives was easier said than done.

_Having Ambrosia well enough to kick my ass...That's more than welcome right now,_ Sparx thought morosely.

* * *

Demetyr had seemed less hostile, so Spyro returned to the Sanctuary as Ignitus had told him to when she wasn't angry anymore. He really wanted to get out of this love problem, and besides, he hadn't seen Sparx in days. Even if the dragonfly was to be boring, at least he would be more interesting than a pissed-off white dragon and a torn green one. He had to be. If he wasn't, then Sparx was ill.

Terrador was standing outside of the Sanctuary, as Icy had not permitted him entrance because of the Demetyr issue. He seemed a little grimmer than he had been when Spyro had left him, but that wasn't any of Spyro's business. All that he wanted to do was get away from all the love-sick dragons in the world and get back to his simple life with Sparx. True, the dragonfly now had a girlfriend, but at least they weren't as bad as the dragons on the island. They were funny and didn't keep secrets while the dragons were serious and secretive and emotional. Being a dragonfly would have been a simple life…

"You can go talk to her now," Spyro said when the green warrior noticed him. "So, now that you don't need me to meddle with your affairs, can you tell me if Sparx is in there?"

"…Sparx isn't on the island anymore," Terrador muttered. "He's at the Isle of Birth, taking care of the enemies that overran the place in Demetyr's absence. He's being a hero."

"What? How is that even possible?" Spyro asked, shocked and confused.

"Koi was ill because her sister was dying. Sparx asked her to teleport him there so he could find out what was going on and try to save them both. Apparently, she has been sick for quite some time. We've just failed to notice," Terrador explained.

"Well, we need to get to the Isle of Birth and help him out. He's just a loud-mouthed dragonfly. He'll be killed if he tries to fight them alone. Get her to teleport us there, too. Then Sparx won't be killed and the island will be saved," Spyro remarked.

Terrador shook his head. "Koi doesn't have the energy to even lift her head. She couldn't even teleport Sparx back here, and he's the smallest of us. Besides, trying to go there would be pointless now. She's not feeling any new pain, and she believes this means her sister is being healed. Whatever the situation was over there, it's over now. Sparx saved them all."

"He couldn't have. He is just an annoying bug. Her not feeling any new pain could just mean that her sister is dead or they've stopped torturing her. Sparx is probably dead, and I'm going to find a way to reach and save him," Spyro claimed.

He turned his back on the green dragon and started to walk towards the door of the Sanctuary again.

"Your brother is no longer the weak annoying dragonfly he started off as. He has the abilities that you do-he can wield the element of fire just as well as any dragon. Perhaps it's time you realized that not everyone is as weak as they once were, and that Sparx can be a hero," Terrador stated.

"…Demetyr's down by the river. So why don't you go bug her and keep your nose out of my life?" Spyro snapped before continuing into the safety of the Sanctuary.

* * *

Demetyr looked down at the moving water in front of her, feeling absolutely empty on the inside. Almost everything she had believed had been challenged in a matter of minutes, and now that her anger had faded away, only nothing remained. She was not one to get angry too often, but every time she had been so, her anger was always followed by this feeling of nothingness. Sometimes it lasted for a short period of time, but on rare occasions, this nothingness lasted for a few days. It seemed like this might be one of those rare occasions.

Her heart was shattered. She couldn't believe that Terrador had kept such an important secret from her all this time. There were plenty of times when he could have told her about her lineage, but he never did. He had kept it a secret from her. And what's worse; he didn't even tell her that he had loved her mother. How was one expected to feel when the one they loved had once been interested in their own mother?

Attacking Terrador had been foolish; had Thirrene seen the action, she would have greatly disapproved. To strike an elder was a disrespectful and dishonorable offense that even a white dragon couldn't escape punishment for committing. But she had done it in the heat of the moment when her heart had first begun breaking, and she hadn't been thinking when she clawed his face. All she had wanted to do was get away from him. But now she was missing him and wishing he was there at the same time that she wanted him to disappear from the face of the earth forever for what he had done. She was torn between hating him and loving him, and only he could pull her back together.

She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't feel like turning to see who was there. She kept her cobalt gaze on her blurred reflection in the river as the dragon came over to her side. The reflective surface wasn't required for her to know who was there; only one dragon would have come to her. He had a bad habit of always wanting to be there for her.

"…Rivers bring back a lot of bad memories for me," Terrador remarked after a few moments of silence. "I guess this will be another."

"…Why didn't you tell me?" Demetyr demanded quietly.

"No time seemed like the right time. And I knew that you would get mad if I told you that I loved your mother before she died. I suppose your reaction might not have been so severe had I been the one to tell you everything, and not everyone would be thinking of me as a pedophile…but I didn't want to hurt you," Terrador replied. "I guess I failed at that, too. Trying to keep secrets just hurt you more than coming clean in the end."

"Do you know what I'm feeling right now?" Demetyr asked.

"…I want to say that you feel betrayed and angry and hateful to me right now…but if you're anything like Saphira, those feelings have already passed and you're feeling nothing." When Demetyr seemed surprised by his response, Terrador added, "I was Saphira's friend for many years. We were close, but not as close as she was to Thorn. I knew how she was when she got angry. You are just like she was."

"And is that why you used me? Because you lost her and I remind you of her?" Demetyr accused.

"No. That's not it at all. I never used you. I truly love you, Demetyr, because…I don't know why. I don't understand the way the heart works. But I don't love you just because you're one of Saphira's daughters. I love you for who _you_ are."

"…Terrador, I don't want to be mad at you. Will you please tell me the truth now? Tell me about your relationship with Saphira, and tell me about Thorn. You weren't able to do that before, but if you don't do it now, I'm never going to speak to you again."

The great warrior sighed and wrapped a wing around her like he had done to Saphira on the day that she had left him for Thorn. She didn't push it away, but he felt her shrink away from it. It was now or never. He would have to come clean about everything or she would forever hate him and be broken.

"…Where to begin…Now that's the question," Terrador said with a small smile. "I knew your parents back when we were just child dragons, when we were all younger than you and Spyro are now. Saphira was always beautiful, and I liked her the moment I met her. Of course, all dragons wanted their sons to end up with her because her lineage was supposedly pure Ice. And she was strong, so it was no wonder. She turned me down countless times, but I never gave up. My only major competition was the dark red Fire dragon by the name of Thorn…your father. We were the strongest dragons our age, and he was always challenging me to see who was stronger. I had always ignored him because my father…Glaedr, the former Electricity Guardian…would have disapproved.

"We did eventually fight, though, because Saphira liked him and I had gotten particularly jealous one day. He could have probably killed me because I refused to forfeit even though I had no chance of defeating him, but the Guardians broke it up. I had no dignity after that fight, and had flown to a river to tend to my injuries. Saphira had followed me. It was there, at a river, that she broke my heart by saying she would never love me as more than a friend.

"Saphira was a sweet, kind, beautiful dragon. I would have wanted nothing more than to be with her forever. But she hadn't felt the same way, so my love had been misplaced. She trusted me and only me to take care of her eggs; she had flown all the way from the Isle of Birth to entrust them in my care. And then…on the night of the raid, she had been killed coming to check on us. I buried her at the same river that I sent your egg off from.

"Thorn was a pompous, arrogant jerk dragon that just happened to be stronger than me. I'll admit that he changed his attitude towards me after he had won over Saphira, and that I grew to respect him over time. We were never friends, but he saved my ass a few times before the raid, and before Saphira had laid the eggs he had kept me informed on how she was because she was my friend. He was killed the night of the raid, too…He was buried beside Saphira by me because they deserved to be together for all time. They were meant for one another.

"You come from two great dragons, you and Cynder both. I should have told you this before, and I regret the pain I've caused you by keeping secrets. But no matter what you think of me now, I know what I feel for you, and I hope you can see that. If I didn't truly love you, I wouldn't be here."

Demetyr took in his story without allowing him to see what she was thinking. She was sure it was a condensed version of Terrador's past, but to tell everything that had gone on in one's life would take a lifetime, and they didn't have that long. The dragons only had until Demetyr was at full health before they were due to charge into battle against their own kind. She couldn't enter that battle mad or hateful or any negative feeling towards Terrador. Anything could happen and she might never see him again. She understood why he had kept his feelings for Saphira from her; at least he had come clean with her about this before it was too late. And it really didn't matter, anyway. They had never really been involved. It wasn't like she was his replacement for Saphira. Why had she reacted so badly before over what was really nothing?

"…I was foolish before, Terrador. Forgive me for acting so," Demetyr murmured, pressing her body against his wing. Its warmth she had missed even though she had only been away from him for a few hours.

"You had a right to be bitter with me. It is I who should be asking for forgiveness," Terrador remarked.

"It matters not, I suppose. But I must ask…Is it really true that you have never participated in the Year of the Dragon?" Demetyr wanted to know.

Terrador flustered. "…It is true. No female dragon has had the chance. Ever."

At this, Demetyr giggled. "What a strange dragon you are! It is true that dragons usually chose their mates based on mild interest, but to choose only ones your heart beats for …That is very unusual. Not that I don't admire you for that. I myself am waiting for the perfect one…"

"You are too young to be thinking about the Year of the Dragon. Most dragons are far too old for you, and it is traditional that dragons do not participate until they are thirty years of age. You are just fifteen. You can wait until after this war is over."

Demetyr smiled at his naivety. "Terrador…we don't know how this war will be. I may not last to see the end of this whole Dark Master fiasco. _You_ may not live to see Spyro defeat him. Our race is on its last legs. Right now…age matters very little. There are fewer females in the world than males, and if they can lay eggs, they must. It is the only way we can continue to exist when Spyro, the Dragon of Prophecy, completes what fate has destined for him to accomplish. Even I, one of the three youngest dragons left, must be willing to give myself up early for the sake of our race. I have only a small window before we enter our most gruesome battle. While I am on this island, I think I will give myself up."

Terrador seemed to take the hint. "…Are you sure about this?"

"I am sure," Demetyr replied, only now she had shifted into her adult illusion. "The question is…Are you ready?"

"A warrior is ready for anything."

"Then come."

* * *

From underneath the rubble where the Temple had stood, an immense power was stirring. The Harnesser of Power, the most powerful dragon to ever exist because she was the first dragon to ever exist, was contemplating the fate of the world. She could see the future and knew that the time was rapidly approaching. This had been foretold by her powerless son, the male dragon whose descendant was the purple dragon. The destruction of the Temple, the dark dragon army, her daughter white dragon…everything. The Harnesser had a part to play in all of this, and it was about time she prepared for that role.

"**It is time to show that fool Malefor and Gaul what true power is."**

The gold color that the Harnesser had taken many centuries ago began to glow with blinding light. The light faded to reveal a huge white dragon in the same form she had been as the idol, her wingspan so wide that she had to fold her wings in order to stand comfortably. Becoming an idol had preserved her well over the shifting sands of time; she still possessed the body of a young dragon, but contained the wisdom of the years. Her powers hadn't dwindled in the slightest; if anything, they had grown. What she possessed dwarfed the abilities of all the white dragons that had come after her, including Demetyr. Space, time, and life were hers to command without exhaustion.

"**I must return to my kind…and seek out the Dragon of Prophecy."**

The Harnesser jumped straight up, destroying the roof of the tunnels that had held her for so long. The dragon army was stationed right above where she had been, but they weren't quick enough to grab her. She disappeared in a blink of their eyes, going only she knew where. Her appearance had been so quick that many believed they had imagined it. Not even the hole in the ground could convince them otherwise.

Another white dragon was on the move.

And she was ready to kick some major ass.

* * *

_A/N: The end...of this chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Sorry for taking so long. I put a lot of effort into a different story, and it took me forever to type it. I'll try to put the same amount of effort into this one, too. Thank you for reviewing. Here's the next chapter. Please read on and enjoy.

* * *

_

Chapter 13

The next day at the crack of dawn, Sparx was roused from his restless sleep by the female spider monkey. Last night had been hard for him; his body was tired from using fire, but his concerns about Koi and Ambrosia made sleep difficult. He had only drifted into the realms of dreams a couple of hours prior to the spider monkey's appearance. Even though he was tired, he got up and followed her to the place where Ambrosia was recovering.

"I did the best I could to restore her to what she had been before the apes got her, but I was unable to heal all of her injuries," the spider monkey told him as she swung from tree to tree. "I apologize, Dragon Fire. I wish I could have done more."

"You saved her life. That is all I could ask," Sparx said. _You also saved Koi. That is more than I could ever ask for. _"Why do you call me Dragon Fire? My name is Sparx."

"We call you Dragon Fire because you wield fire as if you were a dragon even though you're nothing more than a dragonfly. Consider it a hero name, for you have saved us all from certain death. The creatures that live on the Isle of Birth will forever be in your debt, Sparx," the spider monkey stated.

"Please…I only did what was necessary to save Ambrosia and Koi and protect their home. The real heroes will always be the dragons…namely my big fat purple brother who's in love with Darkness. He is the Dragon of Prophecy, after all. Me? I'm just his companion that keeps scenes from being boring," Sparx claimed.

The spider monkey laughed at this. "Dragon Fire, you are no longer just the comical part of your troupe. Yesterday, you proved that you are just as strong as the dragons. You became a hero. Heroes aren't just born. They are made. Before the battle yesterday, you were a loud-mouthed coward. Am I right?"

"…Yeah…" Sparx grumbled.

"Something changed in you. You saw Koi dying because of what was happening here, and you couldn't stand to watch her fade away when you could do something about it. So you asked her to transport you here so that you could make her pain go away. Not once did you freeze in fear. You were determined to do whatever it took to make Koi and her sister safe. You didn't stop for your enemies. You had the courage that only heroes possess, courage that refused to die no matter what. You were even willing to die if it meant that the rest of us were saved. Because of that, you were able to perform a Fire Fury, an attack that only dragons could have done…but that you, a mere dragonfly, did as if you were meant to use that attack. If anything, you and the Dragon of Prophecy stand on equal ground. Do not degrade yourself, Dragon Fire. You are a true hero."

Sparx gave her a grim smile. "…Thanks, uh, Great Healer Monkey."

She giggled again. "My name is Mana. I, too, have a hero name for all the lives I saved. Heaven Healer, for rumors say that if there was ever a tear in the heavens, I could heal it without flawing its beauty."

"How did you know all of those things about Koi? And me?"

"Koi isn't the only one to be blessed with a power from the Harnesser of Power. I'm not as young as I appear, Dragon Fire. I'm old enough to be your great-great-great grandmother even if I look like I'm barely into my thirties."

"…So, you're saying that you can see the future and have eternal youth?"

"You have the youth part right. But I cannot see the future…not exactly. I see visions of other creatures' paths. Yours came to me while I was in captivity just the other morning. Another kind of power I received from the Harnesser was better healing powers. Unfortunately, that power has its limits. Otherwise, Ambrosia would be as if she had never been attacked and tortured."

"What's wrong with her?"

"You shall see, Dragon Fire."

They arrived at the little alcove inside of a tree that Mana lived in. No one else was there save Ambrosia, who was sitting on a fungus that was growing in the alcove. Sparx was surprised to see her up and moving so quickly when she had been in such a horrible condition just last night. She looked next to normal. The only thing that was different was the number of wings she possessed. Only three remained. The one that had been cut off, her upper-right wing, was still missing. He assumed that even with her enhanced healing abilities, Mana had been unable to heal what was no longer there.

The green-and-purple dragonfly looked taken aback to see Sparx there with Mana, but her shock disappeared pretty quickly. It was replaced with something that Sparx never thought he'd see in Ambrosia's eyes: depression and forfeit. He could understand one of those emotions…After all the hell she had been through the past few days, anyone would be depressed. But what was she giving up on?

"Why are you here? I thought you were with my sister and Demetyr," Ambrosia muttered, not looking at him. Rather, she was looking down at her hands.

"I came here to save you and the others," Sparx replied. He ignored the distaste in her voice because he didn't want to start anything with her, not after he had risked his life to save her from the clutches of death.

"How? You were gone from the Temple for days. The Temple no longer stands. What I heard was that Demetyr took you all the way to the Sanctuary. How, then, did you manage to come to our rescue?" Ambrosia asked.

"Well, here's a very funny story. Koi got blessed by the Harnesser of Power idol that was once the very first dragon. Now she's a kickass elf creature from a different world…and a dragonfly at the same time. And here's another kicker. If you're in pain, she's gonna feel the exact same pain cuz you two are so buddy-buddy. So when you were dying, she was dying. I was watching her fade away in front of me, and I knew there was a way to stop her pain, so I went with that option. She teleported me here, I kicked ass and saved the Isle, and now here we are," Sparx explained.

Ambrosia looked at him. "You expect me to believe that load of shit?"

"It's not shit! It's true! How else would I be here? Why else would I be here? If Koi hadn't been dying, I never would have saved your ass! Hell, I would have let that bastard torture you to death until he grew bored of your presence! Then you would have died and I wouldn't have to listen to your condescending insults!" Sparx snapped.

The green-and-purple dragonfly's expression changed again. Before if Sparx had talked to her like that, she would have whooped his ass. But now…she was just hurt by his words. It was obvious in her violet eyes. Sparx just didn't notice right at that moment because he was too enraged by her denial.

"Calm yourself, Dragon Fire. There is no need to swear," Mana stated. "Ambrosia, what Sparx has told you is true. He saved us all from death. You should be grateful."

"…Why? I'd rather be dead," Ambrosia murmured, tears in her eyes.

"Why's that?" Sparx wanted to know.

"Why do you care? You only came her to save Koi! You care nothing about me or the inhabitants of this island! You said so yourself! If Koi hadn't been dying, you would have left us to be overrun! Wanna know what I got to say to that? I hate you, Sparx! I hate you with every fiber of my being…or what's left of it!" Ambrosia exclaimed.

Pissed, she fluttered out of the alcove…only her flight was a little flawed. She wobbled quite a bit because of her missing wing. It was amazing that she was able to fly at all. She put as much distance between her and the place she had been healed as she possibly could, and Sparx quickly lost track of her. He didn't fail to notice that tears she had been crying while she was yelling at him, and knew those tears were completely his fault. He shouldn't have lost his temper. If he hadn't, then she wouldn't have been so hurt.

He bid Mana farewell before flying after her, even though Ambrosia was far away from where he was then. If he had to, he would search the entire island for her…even if it took him all day. It was he who made her miserable; it would be he who would make her not so miserable.

There had always been friction between them. It might have been because Koi had taken an immediate interest in Sparx and that Sparx had egged her on. It might have been that Ambrosia was a stubborn dragonfly who just didn't like people too much until they proved themselves to her. It might have just been that Sparx came off as a dragonfly who hit on every girl he met and seemed like a total jerk. But she threw the first insult, and from that day forward, they had been at odds. But for the first time, he was trying to rub away that friction, trying to put an end to the hatred. After all, if he and Koi were to ever become a permanent couple, that would mean he would be related to Ambrosia. And he didn't want an angry in-law who could whoop his ass in thirty seconds flat.

It turned out that he didn't have to look far. Ambrosia had tired quickly because although she looked like she was back to full health, she really wasn't. When her strength had run out, she deposited herself on top of a log near the lake on the Isle of Birth. She was still crying silently. Sparx had never seen her cry before. In fact, he had seen her as incapable of shedding tears…until now.

He landed beside her, knowing that she would be incapable of leaving even if she wanted to. She saw him out of the corner of her eye and lifted one finger in his direction. Before the attack on the Isle, he would have been very offended. Minutes ago, it would have set him off. But now…after seeing her in so much pain…he just took it as a deflection to speaking to him. That didn't make him leave. He remained where he was and waited for her to talk or for the right words to come to him.

"…Are you happy now, maggot? ...The valiant kickass Ambrosia…is a weak crybaby," she sobbed bitterly.

"You're not weak. You're just…emotional. That's all it is, and it's my fault. I'm sorry," Sparx apologized. "I shouldn't have gone off on you, not after what you've been through. In all honesty…even if Koi hadn't been dying and I knew the Isle was under attack…I might have come, though it wouldn't have been alone. She would have come, too. Can you forgive me for hurting you? I'll even let you kick my ass if that's what you want and that would make you happy."

Ambrosia shook her head once. "…Though I appreciate the offer, I'm not strong enough to kick anyone's ass. And it's not completely your fault. I'm the one that set you off…I should have known that you wouldn't lie to me about something so serious. You did, after all, save us from the Dark Master's bastards. Those pieces of shit deserved much worse than you gave them…but instead of insulting you, I should be thanking you. Can you forgive me for being so damn stubborn?"

"Well, I suppose if you can forgive me for my horrible remarks, I can forgive you for being a stubborn bitch…I mean dragonfly," Sparx said, quickly correcting himself.

She actually cracked a smile at that. "Thank you, maggot…I mean Sparx."

"So…how are you healing?" Sparx asked.

"All of my injuries save one have been healed by Mana, though I am still very weak from my time in captivity. If I wasn't so weak, I wouldn't be talking to you right now cuz I'd be on the other side of the island and you'd still be in this area," Ambrosia replied. She glanced up at her missing wing and sighed. "I'll never be any good now. What use is a lame dragonfly to the white dragon…or to anyone for that matter? At least if I had died at the apes' hands, I would have been a hero."

"Is that why you would rather be dead? Because you feel that you are useless now?" Sparx inquired.

Ambrosia nodded once. "I could never fight, but before torture fell upon me, I could fly just as fast as any dragon. That was my advantage in the heat of battle. It was how I got me and Koi to safety when our parents were killed. But now…I don't even have that. I can't fly as well as before. Hell, a child dragonfly could fly better than me. All I'm good for is watching the children while the rest of the island works on repairing the damage done by those damn apes."

"…You know, I talked to some of the tigers that were fighting during the invasion. They said you were the only creature that couldn't fight that remained out of hiding. And you know what else they told me? They said your rallying cries kept them fighting even when their fighting spirits would have faded away. You know what that means? It means you have great courage and spunk and can keep the troops' spirits high when all hope seems lost. You don't need speed to fight. All you need is that rude tongue of yours and you will always be useful in battle."

"So, basically, you're saying I'm a cheerleader? A loud-mouthed, rude, annoying cheerleader?"

"Hey, that's why the apes tried to kill you, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

"Did I make you feel any better?"

"Just a little."

"Good. I don't want my possible sister-in-law to hate me."

"I didn't say I liked you, Sparx."

"So you still hate me? Even after all that?"

"You took my sister from me. Of course I still hate you. Just not as badly as before."

"You're a hard dragonfly to please, you know that?"

"I know."

"I should toss you into that lake just for being such a hater."

"But you don't have the guts to try something like that."

"Wanna bet?"

Ambrosia didn't reply because she had already knocked Sparx down. The lake's surface rippled as he fell into its blue waters, disappearing from sight. She laughed quietly, not worried that he wouldn't come back up. She knew he would because he wasn't injured. But that would teach him to talk when he should be acting. He came back up a few moments later, opening his mouth to let out a small waterfall that he had swallowed during his plunge into the depths. He glared at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. He flew out of the water and shook the moisture off of him, getting her slightly wet.

"All right. That was good. But I think we should get you back to Mana until your strength returns. Then we can work on your cheers," Sparx told her.

* * *

The Harnesser appeared on top of the Sanctuary during the night. She understood that the dragons of this time were asleep at the time, so she did not disturb them. She waited for the rising of the sun patiently even though she was aware that time was short. Malefor was growing too brave, trying too hard to end the race she had begun at the beginning of time. She and her descendants would have to take him out while they still had the chance. The window of opportunity was starting to close. Every day that the Dragon of Prophecy and the Protector remained on this island, the window closed a little more. But she was a patient female, so she didn't rouse them from their sleep or other activities that would help the race prosper.

The first rays of the sun glistened on her scales, which in turn reflected all over the place in the colors of the rainbows. Her scales were just like Demetyr's when it came to light; they shined like millions of diamonds. If that didn't wake the dragons, then her mighty roar would do the trick.

She heard movement from within the Sanctuary (for simplicity's sake, let's just say there are openings in the walls of the Sanctuary that act like windows) and waited to see who would emerge. The doors opened and out came a tired-looking Spyro. His eyes were still half-shut; he wasn't completely awake just yet.

"Demetyr, I understand that you're mad at Terrador…but he's not here. So can you please leave the area so we can get some sleep?" Spyro asked, shielding his eyes with his wing.

"**I am not the one you call Demetyr. Spyro, I am your Mother."**

Spyro blinked a few times in disbelief before glancing up at the roof where the white dragon was standing. Even through the blinding light reflecting from her scales, he could tell the dragon was too large to be Demetyr. Even she never made her illusions that huge. The physique of the dragon did look a lot like the Harnesser of Power idol…but hadn't she sealed herself away? And wasn't the Temple destroyed by the dark dragon army? How did she get out of there? And why was she so bright?

"**Gather the others, and I shall impart to you all that you wish to know, Dragon of Prophecy."**

He did just that because she was stronger and older and wiser than he was…or anyone else was, for that matter. And if she were as all-knowing as she claimed to be, she could provide useful information that could aid them in the upcoming battle. Also, she could shine some light on what had happened at the Isle of Birth…and let him know if Sparx was dead or had truly become a hero.

Mostly everyone was inside the Sanctuary. Only Demetyr, Terrador, Voltrix, and Volteer were missing. Thirrene called out to them with her hawk-like screech, to which both females responded and roused their mates to return to their shelter. Cynder brought out Koi, who was still too weak to move despite the fact her sister had been healed, on her back so the dragonfly wouldn't be left out. Spyro really hadn't seen her well enough yesterday, but now he could understand how Sparx might have panicked and demanded to be sent to the Isle of Birth. All of the dragons bowed respectfully to their Mother… except for Cynder, who still had a small grudge against the first dragon.

"O Great Harnesser, Mother of our Race, what has brought you to us?" Thirrene inquired.

"**It is time for the Protector to fulfill her prophecy. It is time to take down the dragon army Malefor has unrightfully claimed as his own. And I shall assist, for I have lain dormant underground for far too long. Let us head into battle now."**

"Now? Aren't you being a little too hasty?" Firene put in.

"Yeah, we're still preparing for the fight. And not all of the females have laid eggs. This is the Year of the Dragon, after all. We're the future of the race. If we charge into battle and win but don't have kids, then the race will die out and there'd be no point in fighting," Harpie agreed.

"Besides, Demetyr and Koi are still recovering. We can't fight with them weakened," Icy remarked.

"**They can be restored with ease. And I know what the future of our race is, and I can assure that we will not die out if you enter battle today. I believe the rest of you are as ready as you'll ever be to fight. There is no reason to delay our battle any longer, my children. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner the Dragon of Prophecy can take out Malefor and end the attacks of the apes."**

"If you're as powerful as you're supposed to be, why can't you take care of the fighting yourself?" Cynder wanted to know, not trying to hide the venom in her voice.

The huge white dragon turned her head towards the little black dragon. Her cold golden eyes would have sent fear into any other dragon, but Cynder didn't waver the slightest. Being tortured by and being the pet of the Dark Master made very few things frightening, and the Harnesser didn't have a place on that list of things that did send shivers down her spine.

"**If I were to fight them, my power would result in their deaths. And with my race already near the brink of extinction, I do not think that would be wise. Believe me when I say this, Cynder. I would not allow you to put your lives on the line when there was another way. But there isn't, so I must ask the impossible of you all. I hope you will forgive me in time for any casualties we suffer on the battlefield."**

_I'll never forgive you, _Cynder thought bitterly.

"You say you can restore the strength of Koi and Demetyr, so go ahead and do it! …O Mighty Harnesser," Icy grumbled, adding on the last part when she noticed Thirrene glaring at her.

The Harnesser nodded once and approached Cynder because Koi was on her back. Cynder tried not to cringe as the mighty white dragon lowered her head and placed her brow upon the small body of the pink-and-blue dragonfly; the black dragon could feel her breath on her scales and it was enough to make her shake with suppressed anger. Koi felt her strength return immediately with the contact and was able to fly for the first time in nearly a week. She thanked the Harnesser and transformed into her elf-dragonfly form, saying she would be meet up with them at the Temple area because she was going to the Isle of Birth to be with Sparx and check up on Ambrosia. The next moment, she was gone.

Then the Harnesser came to Demetyr, who was a little shy to be in proximity to a dragon more powerful than herself. She glanced at Terrador for reassurance and he gave her a small nod. She smiled and turned to face the Mother, the only dragon more magnificent than her and who could do a thousand times more than she could. The Harnesser placed her brow upon Demetyr's. She felt her strength return, but that wasn't all.

_**Demetyr, I must impart something very important to you. Only you can know this; it cannot be repeated. Do you understand?**_

_Yes, I understand, Mother._

_**Have you knowledge of the Protector of the Dragon of Prophecy's prophecy?**_

_...Some, but not a lot. All I know is that I'm her and I am supposed to protect Spyro with my life._

_**There is more that you must know, my child. The battle we enter against the dragon army will be won without any of the possessed dragons dying. But the prophecy says that blood will be spilled on the side of good…our side, and though it does not mention that anyone will die, it says the Dragon of Prophecy and the present Earth Guardian will be greatly impacted by the actions of the white dragon…and I believe it is safe to assume you will be the one to spill blood…since you have such a big heart.**_

_...So...you're saying...that I might die in battle and I should prepare for it?_

_**Yes. I am sorry that I do not bring promises of happiness.**_

_No, it's fine. As long as Spyro and the others live to see the light of another day, my dying would be worth it. Spyro just better not screw up. He better defeat Malefor, or I'll be forced to hurt him in heaven._

_**I have foreseen that he will succeed. You need not worry about him.**_

_Right. All I need to worry about is if I die or not._

_**Remember, you mustn't breathe a word of this to anyone…not even Terrador.**_

_I give you my word. I will not repeat this, not even to him._

With that, the Harnesser pulled her head away from Demetyr's. The smaller white dragon was a little shaken by what the Mother had revealed to her, but she hid it well enough so the others wouldn't freak out. She was willing to give up her life if it ensured the safety of Spyro. It was her destiny to die for him. Even if it meant she couldn't see Terrador again…even if she couldn't see what emerged from that egg…She would fulfill her destiny without complaint.

"**Now…we must be gone."**

All of the dragons disappeared with a beat of the Harnesser's wings.

* * *

_A/N: The next chapter will be the big fight scene. I hope I can pull it off without being completely boring. I know this chapter was kinda a boring filler, but I couldn't just leave Ambrosia and Sparx out. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Once again, I have kept you all waiting. I apologize for being so rude and taking so long to type up a few pages' chapter for you to read. I hope I can pull this off...I'm not very good at describing fight scenes of any kind. If you trust my abilities as a writer, please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 14

Koi wasn't surprised by the change of landscape when she reappeared on the Isle of Birth, nor was she surprised by the looks the creatures on the island gave her when they saw her. They had no knowledge about elves since elves were creatures of another realm. She couldn't blame them for looking at her like she was a stranger. But they mattered little. She needed to find Sparx and Ambrosia to set her heart at ease.

Using her alien magical powers, she located Sparx's life energy in the tree where the elder spider monkey lived. Ambrosia was there, too; her closeness to that dragonfly told her that more than any magic. After all, if one can almost die over a vast distance because of their sister's impending condition, it only made sense that one would be able to feel their sister over a small distance. She wasted no time in getting there; for once, she could fly faster than even Ambrosia.

The first thing to surprise her was that Sparx and Ambrosia were in the same place _peacefully_. They weren't arguing, they weren't fighting, they weren't making threats… it was almost as if they were _friends_. Koi didn't know whether she should be grateful for this or terrified.

Mana and Ambrosia were at first startled when she appeared in front of the tree, but Sparx was quick to assure them of her identity. Koi noticed that Ambrosia seemed weak and was missing one wing, and this left her pondering how badly her sister had been tortured by those accursed apes.

"You're all better! I'm so glad you're alive!" Sparx exclaimed, wishing he could hug her but incapable of doing so because she was not in her dragonfly form.

Koi smiled. "It is thanks to you, Sparx, that I am alive. If you hadn't come here, Ambrosia and I would both be dead."

"Actually, you would have still died if Mana hadn't been here. She healed Ambrosia as much as she could. The only thing she couldn't fix was her missing wing," Sparx informed her.

"Why are you here, Sister? Shouldn't you be with the dragons preparing for battle?" Ambrosia asked, skipping the pleasantries and coming straight to the point.

"I came here to see you…and to take Sparx to the place where the Temple once stood. The Harnesser of Power, Mother of the Dragons, has come into action. She restored my strength as well as Demetyr's and is going into battle right now with the other dragons. If we want to get a piece of the action, we must leave now," Koi stated.

"Already? Sheesh! Mothers never have any patience for anything, do they?" Sparx muttered.

"It is better that you get this battle over with now, Dragon Fire. Dragons facing dragons will not be easy, especially since they plan on not killing the possessed. Hardships are easier to overcome if you face them early," Mana remarked. "Later in time, they become stronger and you have more difficulty overcoming them."

"Koi, I could look over the guards and send some with you to help. They're all itching to hurt the Dark Master in some way for what his army almost did to this island again," Ambrosia offered.

The elf-dragonfly shook her head. "We don't have time. We must go now."

Ambrosia looked at her hands. "I understand, Sister."

"I am sorry, Ambrosia. I will come back soon."

"Good luck, Koi. Good luck, Dragon Fire. We will all be praying for you," Mana whispered as the duo disappeared in the blink of an eye via a spell. She looked at Ambrosia and was not surprised to see tears running down her face. "You must have faith in them. They are not the weak bugs you watched fly away. They are warriors and heroes, and they will return."

"…I know, Mana. I'm not crying because I'm afraid for them. I'm crying…because I fear for the fate of those who face them."

* * *

The other dragons were already on the island when the troupe from the Sanctuary appeared with the Harnesser. The dragon army was nowhere to be seen, and the white dragons would not give away their location because a horrible thunderstorm had darkened the sky. Spyro didn't know where they were at first, but then he saw the foundation of the Temple a few feet in front of the mushrooms they were standing behind and realized immediately where the Harnesser had taken them.

On that very foundation laid the enemy, waiting for the order to attack.

Dragons were not the only ones there, of course. Many apes and dread-wings were all over the place, and though a handful of them were stupid enough to poke fun at the possessed dragons (who would hurt them in one way or another to make them shut up), they mostly kept their distance. Ignitrix, the leader of the dragon army, paced back and forth, looking more troubled than a possessed dragon should. Internal conflict might have been the reason for it, but there was no telling.

"**We fight them to remove their collars. That is all. Injure if that is what you must do, but do not kill. It is the wish of your Mother and the Protector."**

There was very much a need to remind them of this, for with how intimidating those evil dragons looked, many might have wanted to take them out for the sake of their own lives. If their Mother told them not to, however, they would listen without hesitating…for the most part.

"**I know that some of you might die today, and I am very sorry for putting you out there. But our race is on its last legs. If less of you die than there are enemies, then letting them live would prove wise. If not, then you may all curse me until the world ends or you die…whichever comes last. You must know now what does not work well against these dragons manipulated by my forsaken son, Malefor."**

"Wait. Now you're telling us that some of our abilities won't work against them? You could have informed us of this earlier when we weren't staring death right in the face," Cynder remarked, bitter.

"**Fear not, Cynder. Your manipulation of fear and shadows will still affect these dragons. But unfortunately, they can break through the freezing of time that Demetyr can do and be of normal speed in the time slowing that Spyro does. Also, if you are of the Ice element, you mustn't face those of Fire or Electricity. Their fire will destroy your ice attacks and their electricity will follow your ice stream right back to you. If you are of Fire or Electricity, you cannot face those of Ice. Their ice is too strong to be melted or used for currents that would shock them. You would just be tiring yourself against their attacks. Earth has no bounds. Just know that your enemies' attacks are far stronger when it comes to the elements."**

"So are you saying that the Dragon of Prophecy and his Protector should just use the element of Earth?" Icy asked.

"**Depends on of what element their enemy is. But using Earth most of the time would be wise."**

"And that's my worst element," Demetyr murmured with a small smile. Terrador heard her and returned the smile.

"All I can use is Fire," Spyro admitted, blushing from embarrassment.

"Then you can only face enemies who use every element except Ice. Not a big problem there. Just let the others take care of the ones you can't fight and you'll be fine," Ignitus assured him.

"**My children, are you ready to fight?"**

Instead of answering with a loud battle cry, they all just nodded. Answering her in such a loud manner would get them into battle immediately.

"Whatever happens, Terrador, know that I'll always love you," Demetyr whispered, touching his tail with her own.

"I would say that, but then I would just be saying what you said," Terrador whispered back, and for a moment, their tails intertwined.

"Hey, Icy…if we make it through this battle alive, do you think we could…"

"Don't even finish that question if you ever want to have children again," Icy snapped, cutting Cyril off. "I hate you, and I'll never EVER be with you in any way, shape, or form other than battle. Got it?"

"Voltrix, I'll have your back during this entire fight. If someone tries to bite you, I'll shock their ass. If they try to claw you, I'll rip their throat out. If they try to kill you, I'll beat the crap out of them. If they try anything funny, I'll send them flying to the Celestial Moons above. I love you, Voltrix, and I will protect you with my life, regardless of if it will be taken or not," Volteer told her with his lightning-quick tongue.

"Oh, Volt. You know just what to say to make me feel safe. But please…don't die," Voltrix murmured, rubbing her face against his affectionately.

"Spyro, I will protect you from these dragons. I swore I would do so for you and my sister, and so I shall, even at the cost of my life," Cynder stated.

"And I will protect you, like I promised," Spyro retorted.

"Just don't die. The fate of the dragon race depends on you," Cynder said.

"Then don't you die, or else I won't be alive because they would have killed me first," Spyro declared.

"**Now let us fight for those that we hold dear and let Malefor know that he cannot use our own kind against us! Onward to battle!"**

And with that, the dragons left in existence on the side of good flew and charged at the unsuspecting members of the Dark Master's army. Those that weren't on their feet when the battle first started were quick to do so. The Harnesser of Power used her advanced abilities to tap into the life forces of the apes all around the place and the moment she did so, they dropped dead right where they had been standing. The dread-wings with their assassins quickly put distance between themselves and the Mother of Dragons, attempting to get out of range of her mighty powers. But they were foolish; they would have had to fly thousands of leagues to get out of reach of her powers. They fell from the skies and joined the carnage of the apes.

Koi and Sparx had appeared by then and were in the thrall without a moment of peace. Being a small bug, he managed to escape the eye of the blue dragon he had decided to target. He shot fire from his hands at her dark collar, but his aim was off and it didn't destroy the thing that kept the dragon evil. A few minutes later, his mistake was fixed. The dragon changed shape and passed out. Koi, on the other hand, was targeting their collars from above with her bow and arrows. It wasn't easy, since once they saw her there they would focus their strong attacks at her. But when her arrows struck their dark collars, the accessories of evil would pop off and the dragons would be free.

The dragons had a harder time than their buggy companions. There were over thirty, maybe even forty, on the opposing side, and they were all much stronger because of the darkness Malefor was pumping into them. It took up to five dragons to face just one of them. Not counting those possessed by evil, there were around three hundred dragons fighting for the Harnesser. They had the numbers advantage…which was good, for had they not, they would have lost the moment they entered the fight.

Thirrene was cornered by two Fire dragons, but she showed no fear whatsoever. Her age made very few things scary, and facing enemies of the same race that were younger than her was not on the list of things that made her quiver. Flying wouldn't get her out of this situation, for they could fly just as easily. So she let them blast her with fire and laughed when they were surprised to see that she hadn't died. She had made a huge Ice Shield that was just as strong as any of the possessed Ice dragons' ice and could stand up to their heat. That took many years for her to do, but it had saved her from certain doom. She knocked it backwards onto the two dragons, who weren't fast enough to not get caught under it, walked over it, and ripped their collars off as she made her way back into the fight.

Icy found herself in a sticky situation with Cyril as her only immediate backup. A huge male Electricity dragon was staring her down, shooting her zappy breath at her every now and then to frighten her. It didn't scare her, but she was forced to jump back in order not to be hurt by her attack. Ice dragons weren't supposed to fight Electricity dragons, but now there was no choice. She glanced over at Cyril with agitation. She needed the help if she was to take this beastie down, but if he helped, he might use that against her later. Mentally sighing, she nodded in his direction and they both leapt onto the enemy. Before the Electricity dragon could use her attack on them, Cyril clamped her mouth shut with his front claws before freezing it that way. Icy quickly ripped off her collar and then the two blue dragons separated.

Cynder really didn't enter battle so much as she did keep the possessed on their toes. Every shadow became an enemy lying in wait. Every breeze became an attack. Every stone became a trap. Even the ground was against them. A few of the evil dragons fell victim to this fear entirely and collapsed to the ground, too afraid to do anything except cower and cover their eyes with their claws. That made removing their collars so much easier. Most of the evil dragons weren't that effected, which made them more wary and better fighters, but it helped if even just a little.

She saw an Earth dragon lunging for Spyro and quickly sprung into action, sending the older and larger dragon careening backwards a few steps. Ignitus appeared behind the enemy and bit its collar off before it could retaliate. An Ice dragon jumped on the Fire Guardian's back and started trying to rip his throat out with her teeth. Ignitus was quick to knock the dragon off and swung his tail at the jerk that tried to kill him. The Ice dragon managed to dodge. Then she prepared to strike the Guardian with an Ice Bomb. This time, Spyro came to his rescue by charging right into the Ice dragon's chest, which made her shoot her attack straight up in the air. The huge Ice Bomb came down and struck the enemy on the head, freezing most of her upper body and probably giving her a massive headache. An attack that an Earth dragon had done shattered some of the ice around the dragon's throat, and they were able to remove her collar.

Volteer was one amongst five dragons taking on some enemies that used fire as their element. He kept glancing over in Voltrix's direction, who was engaged in a fight against Earth dragons. She wasn't alone; Harpie, Heathrune, Eurasia, and Firene were with her, protecting her as well as they were being defended by her. She would be fine, he was sure, but he couldn't help but worry about her.

One of the Fire dragons lunged right at him. He quickly maneuvered himself out of the way and shocked that enemy with an electrified attack. She jumped back a bit, but that didn't stop her from coming at him again. Her Fire Breath was much stronger than anything Ignitus had let out, and it singed his scales in its way. He was forced to close his eyes to avoid having them permanently damaged. She took advantage of that moment to sink her teeth into him. She would have chomped down on his throat had he not adjusted his stance; her teeth came down on his right shoulder. He roared from the pain and slammed his right side against the ground, making sure her head was under him when he did so. Sometimes weight was beneficial; she was knocked out from the blow. He tore her collar off and cursed her with his lightning tongue for hurting him like she had done.

Terrador was taking care of business like he was used to doing. Of course, he had help from the many dragons that the Harnesser had gathered for the battle, but he was kicking ass and not bothering to take names. He didn't even get a scratch, though that wasn't saying that this battle was easy; he was definitely being pushed to his limits. He was just quick enough to avoid the enemies' attacks. In fact, he seemed to be fighting better now than ever before. What had made him so good all of a sudden? Well, he would give credit to Demetyr for that.

His blunt tail collided with an Ice dragon's head, injuring her but he didn't deliver enough force to kill. She collapsed to the ground. Terrador was surprised to find that he recognized her. She was the female that had talked so sinisterly when Thirrene made contact with the other dragons via the ice mirror…Shard. No wonder she had been so tough to beat. He removed her collar and looked to see how many more dragons they would have to take down.

Within the span of an hour, almost all of the dragons that the Dark Master had taken under his control were down for the count. Only about ten were still active, and they had put distance between themselves and the much larger army of dragons that were not for Malefor. Ignitrix was one of them; the others' names mattered little. But the possessed dragons did not fall so easily. Seventeen dragons had been killed or were dying and practically all of those that had fought bore injuries from their battles.

Demetyr scanned the dead, looking for any faces she would recognize. She had helped take down the possessed immensely, helping around nine to become free spirits again. Most of those that were evil she had known since they were all from the Isle of Birth. The good dragons were a different story. She hadn't really been around them except for this one gathering. That was why she looked at them during this moment of peace…so she would be sure that no one she knew was dead.

She wasn't that lucky.

Three dragons she knew were in bad conditions. Firene and Eurasia had fallen in battle… preppy Firene had her head cut open from all the attacks she had received there and her skull hadn't been enough to protect her brain from the damage…sweet Eurasia had been attacked in the chest right where her heart was. Demetyr couldn't stop herself from crying when she saw their bodies; they had been her friends during those horrible weeks under the Isle of Birth when Malefor had launched his attack on the females. She promised that their deaths would not be for nothing.

The last dragon she knew that was in bad condition…was elder Thirrene. The battles had been rough on her old heart…the multiple wounds she had on her didn't help much either. Demetyr rushed over to her side. She wasn't the first or the only one there. Icy, Harpie, Heathrune, and Voltrix had beaten her there. All of them felt greater sadness than Demetyr felt because they had been around her longer. But they were all shedding tears.

Cynder saw her sister crying and turned an angry gaze on the Harnesser of Power, who had done nothing but stand there after making the apes and dread-wings drop dead.

"If you're as powerful as you claim, why aren't you doing something about your dying descendants?" she demanded.

"**I may be powerful…But even I cannot stop death or revoke it. That is something that a dragon even like me cannot trifle with. I am sorry."**

"Whatever! You just sit there on your old ass and let your _children _die! That's what you've been doing for the past thousands of years, anyway!" Cynder snapped.

The Harnesser glared at her with suppressed anger shining in her golden eyes, but she did not reprimand Cynder. She possessed patience that only a mother could hold.

Ignitrix and the other nine dragons that were still possessed by the Dark Master were in the sky, looking over the large number of enemies they were supposed to take down. The former female Fire Guardian was trying to fight him, but his powers suffocated her and thus prevented her from doing anything he didn't want. The others did not have the same issues because they were weaker in the mind than she.

"What shall we do? If we try to fight them like we have been, they will just win out in the end and take away our power," one of the remaining evil Electricity dragons pointed out.

"We must perform our Furies on them…all at the same time in different areas as to get them all in one shot," a black dragon who was much, much older than Cynder suggested.

"They will see that coming and will be upon us in an instant if we tried," an Earth dragon remarked.

"Then we will just have to distract them with a death that will torment them all," an Ice dragon stated.

"You're not suggesting that we go after the Mother! She's far too powerful!" a different Electricity dragon than the first exclaimed.

"Not her. The next most powerful dragon after her," the Ice dragon explained. "Demetyr."

"What about her alien friend? You know, the one with wings that walks on two legs? She's been a pain in the ass, too. Malefor would like to prevent her from being such a hassle ever again. We know not what power she possesses. It would be best if we took her out as well," a second Earth dragon told them.

"You're right. We could go after her dragonfly friend and that might make her jump in to protect him and virtually, her life will be taken," a second Fire dragon agreed.

"What about the Dragon of Prophecy? He's the whole reason we're here…because Malefor wants him dead to prevent the prophecy from coming true," a second Ice dragon put in.

"…The golden dragonfly is close to the Dragon of Prophecy. If we attack him, he is sure to move in front of him. But being the small bug he is, the blast will take them both out. The alien fighter will use her powers to take his place, probably, and then that will eliminate two of our problems. Then we go after Demetyr's sister, and she is bound to protect her even at the cost of her life. With all of them gone, Malefor will be able to rise to power," the black dragon said.

Ignitrix shook her head. "We're not allowed to kill Demetyr. Malefor wants her when he returns to the realms of the living."

"Then lessen up your attack so that it injures her, but doesn't kill her. I will swoop down and remove her from the battlefield, and after she has been salvaged, you can all release your Furies on those dragons. The only one other than Demetyr that might survive it all would be the Mother, and when Malefor returns…she will fall as well," the black dragon declared.

Ignitrix closed her eyes. "This will work. Are we in agreement?"

The other evil dragons concurred.

"Then prepare…**for the end of the dragon race as you have come to know it.**"

Ignitrix, who was now completely controlled by the Dark Master, powered up a very powerful fire attack. What came out of her was large enough to light up ten dragons. It took flight towards Spyro, who tried to move but was frozen in fear from the powers of black dragon on Malefor's side. The other dragons were not frozen in fear, but the fear they did possess made them run from the line of fire. The purple dragon thought this was truly the end and regretted two things: not being the hero everyone expected him to be and not admitting what his heart felt for a certain dark dragon.

"Spyro!" Cynder screamed, but she was too far away to save him.

Sparx was closer and unaffected by the evil black dragon's ability. Well, for the most part he was. He knew he was too small to stop that thing, but being a hero had made him a bit overconfident. He thought that maybe he could fight fire with fire and repel that big incoming ball of doom. He flew in front of his brother.

"Sparx! What are you doing? You have to get away!" Spyro shouted even though he couldn't move.

"Not this time, buddy! I'm not going to let my big fat brother die when the world needs him! I'll find a way to save you, even if I'm the one that has to lose everything!" Sparx stated, shooting a bit of fire at Spyro to hurt him. The pain made him lose his fear. "Now get out of here before you become a barbecued Dragon of Prophecy! I'll stop this flaming ball before it can hurt anyone!"

"How do you plan on doing that?" Spyro wanted to know. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Oh, yes you are!" Sparx countered. Before Spyro could argue, he shot more fire at him and it was enough to knock Spyro to the side a few feet.

During their small argument, they had forgotten how quickly a fire attack could move. Sparx tried to push the fire back with his own, what with it being so close that he could feel its heat on his skin…but the truth was that his fire abilities weren't strong enough to knock the fire back. It was barely holding it back. It was only a matter of time until he wore out and the fire consumed him…and that time was approaching fast.

_Well, this looks like it's the end for me. And I didn't get to do all the things I set out to do...I didn't get to see this war end, I didn't get to settle down with Koi to start a family, I didn't get to retire, I didn't get to insult Spyro to the point that he was clinically depressed and self-conscious about his weight...Man, did I waste my life, _Sparx thought as his fire began to dwindle and the fire ball came closer. _At least I'm dying for a good cause...and I found the perfect girl before this. That's all Mom ever wanted for me to do ...find a girl that could stand my antics. Now she's gonna be sad because I'll be gone...Forgive me, Koi baby. Guess you'll have to go on without me._

Koi watched in horror from above as Sparx struggled to keep the fire ball from destroying him. She was too far away to knock him out of the way before his fire failed. The only option she had to save him was the strange spells that elves used. She searched through the elven part of her mind, looking for something that might help her save him. The first spell that entered her head was one that would allow her to switch places with Sparx. She didn't know if she could survive an attack like that, but she didn't have time to look for another spell. Quickly, she murmured the incantation and disappeared in the blink of an eye only to reappear where Sparx had been. Without his fire to hold it back, it engulfed her in an instant.

"NO! KOI!" Sparx cried when he realized what she had done, when he had found himself high in the air. The fires died down after some time and her scorched body fell to the ground. He flew over to her as fast as he could, tears falling freely from his eyes.

(Ambrosia felt a very bad pain at that time that dulled the pain that she had endured during her torture. Not even Mana could make this pain die down. They feared the worst for her sister, wondering what fate had befallen her that would make Ambrosia be unable to move even the slightest.)

Malefor/Ignitrix shot another huge fire ball at Spyro, but the purple dragon was wise enough now to run away. The dragons were moving back, trying to get out of range now that they saw what those attacks could really do. Those that had been evil but were unconscious at the moment were placed on fellow dragons' backs and carried out of the way of blasts. Those that were dead could not be helped at the moment. If their bodies were harmed, it would be unfortunate and those alive would be at fault for that.

Enraged, Malefor made Ignitrix resort to the other part of the plan. The only difference was that he was too angry to remember that he wanted the intended target alive and made the attack far too strong for anyone to survive. He forced her to shoot that attack at Cynder, who was too busy avoiding being trampled by the larger dragons to notice her. Spyro saw the impending attack and quickly rushed to her rescue, not waiting time on yelling a warning. She saw him coming and the pained expression on his face, but she was too late to move out of the way. He charged right into her and attempted to use his body as a mini-shield to protect her.

What they hadn't expected was to be protected by someone else.

Demetyr had seen her dragonfly friend go up in flames and the attempts on Spyro's life. Those she had been unable to prevent. But that last fire ball, directed at her flesh and blood, was something she was going to make sure she could prevent. She rushed away from Terrador's side towards her, ignoring him calling her name because she wanted to save the only family she had left. At the last second, she encompassed both Spyro and Cynder with her larger body and wings, thus protecting them from even being slightly burned by the flames. They felt nothing but the heat.

Demetyr was not that lucky.

She was scorched past recognition, but she wasn't dead just yet. Somehow she managed to open her wings and allow Cynder and Spyro to escape her protection after the fire ball had gone out. Her legs, which she had placed under her while she protected the Dragon of Prophecy and her sister, collapsed under her. Her white scales were pitch-black, but they looked nothing like Cynder's. The only white scales unaffected by the flames were those of her underside and the top of her head.

"DEMETYR!" Terrador exclaimed, finally reaching her side. Cynder and Spyro had remained there, and Icy was quickly coming.

The white dragon was on her last legs, experiencing her last moments of life. She knew that fairly well even though she had never really faced death before. Still she managed to smile up at those she had grown close to in her short lifetime, ignoring the pain that coursed through her.

"Do not cry in grief…I was born to die protecting the Dragon of Prophecy," Demetyr said with a broken voice. "It was…my destiny and I…am happy to fulfill it. My death will not be meaningless…I saved my sister and the purple dragon…the dragon who will save the race…from the evil known as Malefor. You shouldn't cry from grief…Cry from happiness to know that my death will help to bring peace…"

"Damn it, Demetyr! Don't act like you're so grown-up! You're only fifteen! You've barely lived! Prophecies be damned…You shouldn't have to die!" Icy snapped, tears falling from her eyes.

"Yeah…You and Spyro shouldn't have saved me…" Cynder whispered.

Demetyr shook her head slightly; there wasn't much movement she was capable of now so close to death. "Don't you see, Cynder…? I…I have nothing against you anymore…It was…It was Malefor's fault that everyone died that day…and why I'm dying now… because it was him who made these dragons evil…and it was him who forced Ignitrix to …to kill me. You're my twin…I can't let you die when it's not your destiny. And Spyro …He loves you so much that he was willing to die with you…or for you…even though that might mean…the end of all the dragons forever."

"Really?" Cynder asked, looking from her dying sister to the blushing purple dragon.

"Yes…" Demetyr murmured. She turned her cobalt gaze on Terrador and took a ragged breath before saying another word. "…I'm sorry that…I have left you so early. It seems that whoever you fall in love with…dies a little too early. Perhaps my lineage is cursed… please forgive me."

Terrador chuckled nervously. "Demetyr, it is not you who is cursed. It is I. I should be asking for your forgiveness."

"Maybe we're…both to blame," Demetyr agreed. "Just know that…I love you and that even though I will be gone, our child will need you in his life. He will need…all of you, and that is why…I am giving you my powers before I go."

"Your powers? But…" Icy trailed off.

Demetyr laughed hoarsely. "It's not like I'm going to need them anymore, is it?"

"No…I guess not," Icy grumbled.

"Bring your head down here…" Demetyr ordered. The blue-white dragon rested her brow upon Demetyr's as she was told to do. "I…I give you my powers of illusion so that…you can be more imposing than ever…and get Cyril to leave you alone."

Her adult illusion melted away, leaving her at her normal size. Icy messed around with her powers just a little, making it look like there were two of her when only one of her existed. Then she returned her attention to her dying friend.

"Cynder." The black dragon rested her brow against Demetyr's. "…To you, I give my ability that…was given to me by an elder dragon. You receive my ability to heal others… just remember that when you do so…you take on their injuries for a short time.

"Spyro." The purple dragon did the same as the two before him. "Take my elements from me…so that you don't have to wait…for the Chronicler to reawaken yours. I know it isn't much compared to what the others have received…but it is the only thing I have to spare.

"Terrador…" The mighty green warrior reluctantly placed his brow upon hers. "…You shall receive…my time freezing ability. When our child is old enough…I wish for you to bestow this to him. Until then…use it to keep yourself alive, as well as those around you. This is the least I could do…for the dragon who saved me more than he should have. I love you, always and forever."

"And I love you…always and forever," Terrador whispered.

This was nearly like the scene from that story he had told her awhile back. But he knew that no amount of praying to the ancestors could stop her from dying or bring her back when she was dead. He watched the life fade from her eyes and then her eyes closed forever, never to shine with the brightness he had come to know in that ocean of cobalt again. She was gone…

He set his angry, tear-filled eyes on Ignitrix, who had been used to bring about Demetyr's death.

Malefor was mad at himself for once, for screwing up in his anger and killing the white dragon that he planned on using for recreating the dragon race. His mind mostly withdrew from Ignitrix's, allowing her the opportunity that she had been waiting for ever since he had taken her free will from her. She broke her collar off and lunged at the other evil dragons before they knew what she was doing. Their collars were off in the blink of an eye, and all ten of them dropped from the sky at the same instant.

The battle was over.

Malefor no longer had dragons on his side.

But was freeing them worth the lives that had been lost?

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_A/N: Sad ending...What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading. Now go read a happy chapter of another book, okay? _


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Well, here it is. The final chapter of this story, the first Spyro story I have ever put on this website...or on the internet at all. Even though this has definitely had its ups and downs, I want to thank you all for sticking with it. Through __**Magic**__'s lameness and greatness, you guys encouraged me to keep going. That is why this chapter, and this story, is dedicated to you who did not flame. Please read on this last time._

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Chapter 15

Terrador took Demetyr's body to the same place he had buried Saphira and Thorn while the other dragons dealt with their loved ones and those that had been possessed. He was alone; Cynder and Spyro had wanted to come with him, but he told them bluntly that he had to do this alone, that it was personal business they shouldn't be a part of. The two graves were marked with stones that he had carved their names in, and soon there would be a third among them. The family was being united.

Tears were in his eyes the whole time he was digging, and without him being aware at first, the time freezing ability that his beloved had given to him kicked in. He wouldn't realize this until he started feeling very weak after she was in the ground, and that was a way in coming. His emotions had triggered it, and his desire to not lose her forever. She was so small now that he hadn't had to dig deep. The hardest part would be placing her into the ground and covering her.

Reluctantly, he turned to her blackened body. The damage was much more terrible to her smaller true form…only her head and the light blue scales of her underbelly were not charcoal-colored. It pained him to see the one he loved like this. It made him relive discovering Saphira all over again. If he just focused on her face, it looked as if she were merely asleep. The rest of her told a different story.

_Perhaps...perhaps I'm not meant to be in love. Everyone I have ever loved has died...It's not fair, _Terrador thought morosely as he looked upon her face. _Why do I suffer from so much misfortune? And what has the lineage of Saphira done to deserve so much death?_

He carefully picked up Demetyr's corpse and lowered her into the grave. It was below her mother's and father's and much too small…She should have lived to be as large as her parents before death stole her from the world. With a quick movement of his tail, the dirt he had unearthed fell upon her, removing her from his sight for the last time. He spent some time making the dirt even, and around that time he felt the effects of the time freeze wearing him out. He deactivated it conserve what little strength he had left and to allow other creatures to move.

_This time freezing and the egg back at the Sanctuary...they are the only things I have left of her..., _Terrador thought as he searched for a stone to engrave her name on. _Our child will never know the great dragon his mother was...and she was only fifteen. It isn't fair! I am far older than her...I should have died long before she passed from this world! She was one of the only three dragons to survive the raid...and that was only because the Harnesser told me to hide her in the tunnels. She escaped death then because of the Mother...Why couldn't the Mother save her this time?! Ancestors damn it! Why is life such a cruel and twisted creature?!_

Terrador found a stone and used his claws to make her tombstone. He knew that he shouldn't blame anyone for Demetyr's death except for Malefor, but he couldn't help but be angry at the one dragon that was supposed to be all-powerful. She had stopped the hearts of the apes and dread-wings, and then she just watched everyone else fight and die or receive serious injuries. She seemed more useful when she was just an idol granting creatures abilities.

He sighed after her name was done. _She wouldn't want me to be angry because she is dead. I must not point claws. She was destined to die protecting Spyro, and so she did. At least I was granted these past few weeks to be with her...that is all I could ever ask for._

Terrador placed the stone above the freshly dug grave. He said nothing and made no move to head back to the place where the Temple once stood. The only sound around was the toxic waters of the violet river near where the bodies of his friend, her heartthrob, and their daughter lay in eternal sleep.

_Saphira...I tried to keep your daughter safe and ended up falling in love with her. I am sorry that I failed you. And I know you'll want to kick my ass for that in the afterlife, Thorn. But I should thank you both for granting me time with her...She is so amazing. Goodbye for now, Demetyr. I shall see you in a few years._

He flew back towards the place where the Temple had stood not even two weeks ago, not feeling any better but knowing that he would have to come back sooner or later unless he wanted others to go searching for him. From his high point on the island, he could see that other dragons were sending their fallen loved ones to their final resting place just as he had, and others were helping the injured be free of their injuries. Koi was being treated by a light pink Fire dragon; it still amazed him that she had managed to survive an attack that had taken Demetyr's life, but he was happy for Sparx despite this. Far away from the dragons, the Harnesser of Power stood, looking glum in the downpour that was still falling from the sky.

As he came closer to the ground, he could hear why she had separated herself from her descendants. From the conversations of those who were not busy helping others, he gathered that they were blaming her for the death of Demetyr and the dragons who had been taken from them. They were questioning whether she really was as powerful as she claimed. It seemed they didn't think stopping the enemies' hearts was much help.

And he couldn't exactly disagree with them.

He found Ignitus and the other Guardians in the crowd of hundreds. Ignitrix was with them, only now she didn't have the physique of an evil dragon and looked a little more like her twin brother. They were mostly smiles, though Terrador could see in her eyes the guilt she was feeling for being the one who shot that fire ball at Demetyr. Her smile faded completely when he joined the group.

"It's good to see you under friendly terms again, Ignitrix," he said with a smile.

"…I'm sorry for what happened…It's just that…Malefor took complete control and I had no chance of resisting him and he made me fire…And now Demetyr's dead and it's all my fault!" Ignitrix cried. "I won't blame you…if you hate me for the rest of our lives. I just thought I would tell you…"

Terrador used the side of his tail to lift her chin up when she hung her head in shame. "I don't blame you. There is only one dragon to blame for her death and the deaths of all the dragons who fell today…and that is Malefor. So do not beat yourself up over Demetyr's death. Hate Malefor, and in time, he will fall."

"…Are you sure that you don't hate me?" Ignitrix asked.

"If I hated you, then you would have been on the ground the moment I landed," Terrador stated.

"You buried her with her parents," Ignitus assumed.

Terrador nodded. "It was…more painful than I remembered."

"And it should have been. She and you were in love and you have an egg as proof of that. I just hope her death will not steal you away from us…Your child is going to need you. I pray to the ancestors you will not be like your father. It's not that he was a bad dragon, but when it came to parenting and love, he was strict and cold," Ignitus remarked.

"He was horrible," agreed Terrador. "But Glaedr was my father, and I…respected him immensely and I still do, to this very day."

"But you didn't love him," Ignitrix put in.

"When I was younger, I did. But after my first ten years, it was just respect."

"Everyone is blaming the Harnesser of Power for Demetyr's death," Cyril said, finally making his voice heard. "Isn't it wrong to point claws at the female responsible for our very existence? It's wasn't her that shot that fire ball. It was Malefor. Why are they placing blame on her?"

"It's quite simple, really. She is supposedly all-powerful and can do practically anything. But the whole time we were fighting, she just sat there. She didn't try to save anyone or fight off the dragons that were hurting us. She might have been able to withstand that fire ball that took Demetyr away, but she made no move to protect Demetyr or Spyro or Cynder. Everyone saw this, and therefore they see her as partly responsible for the deaths that happened today," Volteer explained very quickly. "Morals have nothing to do with it. If your birthmother didn't try to save you from some horrible attack when she was within a distance to save you, wouldn't you blame her for your injuries or death? It makes perfect sense."

"I won't blame the Mother, but I believe there is something going on with her," Ignitus said. "We might not understand it because her power dwindles our own, but we are only dragons and we will point claws at someone or another. There is no stopping that."

To this, Terrador added nothing. He just stood there and kept his own opinion of the Harnesser of Power to himself.

The Harnesser, out of nowhere, opened her massive wings and took to the sky. Everyone stopped what they were doing to gawk at the one who was being blamed for everything that had happened that day and see what she was doing now. She hovered above the rubble of the Temple for a few moments and murmured something in an ancient dragon dialect that made the language that Malefor knew seem modern. The Temple began to rebuilt itself until it was exactly like it had been before the possessed had destroyed it. Once that was done, she flew away without saying a word to anyone.

**I don't have much time, **the Harnesser thought, flying faster than any other dragon could have ever done. **I must do some good before my prophecy comes true.**

Her ungifted son whose lineage eventually led to the birth of the first purple dragon had foreseen a prophecy for her around the same time as he had for Demetyr. The Harnesser of Power felt that it was coming to pass now, and that was why she was using her powers up so quickly. Malefor had managed to get into her heart while she watched her descendants whisper her name bitterly, and he was turning her evil at a speed that only focus could slow, but not stop.

The Isle of Birth appeared under her, and she slowed long enough to restore the entire island to its original glamour before the apes had ever set foot on its shores. There was no sign they had ever been there except for the bodies that lay buried underneath its soil. With a flap of her wings, every egg that had been laid that year appeared in the area where they had lied before when the females laid eggs here. Nothing would disturb them; the dragons would eventually find what had happened to their eggs. She sent a feeling into the hearts of all dragons, a longing to go to the Isle of Birth, before disappearing once more.

She reappeared on an island far beyond the reaches of any other dragon. If one younger than her even attempted to reach this place, it would take them five lifetimes to do so. Her powers were still somewhat at large, so she transferred the energy into boulders that she knocked into the ocean afterwards. To regain such vast amounts of power would take centuries…she would be alive after all that time, but by then Malefor would either be gone or in control and she wouldn't matter.

**It is done. I can do no more harm, and my children might hate me, but they will never have to deal with me again,** the Harnesser thought.

_**You put up a good fight, Kasara, **_Malefor remarked as his evil began to completely take over her. _**And now you will be of no use to me. But I still have control over you, and when I can return you to the mainland, we can start the race over again…even if it takes a thousand years.**_

**You should never address your mother by her real name, **the Harnesser grumbled before her white scales turned obsidian and her golden eyes turned crimson.

* * *

A Few Weeks Later…

Every dragon save three were living on the Isle of Birth. Those three were Ignitus, Spyro, and Cynder. Ignitus was at the Temple, keeping it safe from the Dark Master's forces. Cynder and Spyro were looking for the Chronicler in order to find a way to stop Malefor's return to life on the Night of Eternal Darkness. Sparx was with them, and some were left wondering how Spyro was handling sharing the spotlight with another hero who was more recognized on the Isle than he was.

Terrador watched the children who had been born that year as they learned to walk away from their parents. One of those wonderful dragons was his own son…a silver dragon with cobalt eyes just like his mother and grandmother had possessed. His egg had been green, indicating that his element was Earth, but his coloring was something the Earth Guardian hadn't seen before, so he didn't know if that was truly his element. Terrador had named him Glaedr after his father, though he hoped his son would be nothing like the Electricity Guardian when he grew up. That boy was already walking quickly, though his step was bit wobbly.

Cyril had two children from two different dragons-Harpie and Firene. Harpie's was a maroon Fire daughter whom she named Gemini because of her having a half-sister that hatched shortly after her, and Firene's was a dark gold Electricity son that Cyril decided to name Lightning since his mother was not around to name him. Both were getting along like siblings should at their age; when they could talk and fight, those two would probably never get along.

Volteer and Voltrix had a son who was also of the element of Electricity. He was a lighter yellow than they were, but that was just fine with them. They named him Speed, for they just knew he would be like them when it came to speaking. Terrador thought that was a lame reason for such a fast name, but he wouldn't' tell them that to their face.

Ignitus, though he wasn't there to take care of his children, had two daughters. Their mothers were Heathrune and Eurasia, who had decided to mate with Ignitus just a couple of days before she had died. Heathrune's daughter was a green-blue Ice dragon. Eurasia's daughter was a bronze Earth dragon, just like her mother had been. Heathrune was raising them both right now, with some help from Icy. Icy would only turn away when Cyril would come around, but otherwise she was a good mother's assistant.

There were over fifty dragons born so far that year. Other eggs laid in wait, for all of the possessed females had mated and lain them in order to keep the race going. Also, there were some females who had neglected to mate before and decided to take advantage of the temporary peace. It was expected that more than one hundred dragons would be born during this Year of the Dragon. This number was nothing compared to past Years of the Dragon, but now that the race was near extinction, that was huge number.

Glaedr wobbled over to his father's side and jumped on his head. Terrador laughed as his son looked down at his face. Glaedr giggled childishly in a way that sounded a lot like Demetyr's laugh; he looked so cute with his big cobalt eyes looking down at him.

Those cobalt eyes had sealed the deal.

Terrador would forever be under their curse, as he had been ever since he met Saphira.

* * *

_A/N: THE END! Short, lame-ish chapter, but I couldn't just cut off the way I had last chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading this story, and you all have and good life! Goodbye!_


	16. Sequel Ideas Request

This is pretty much an author's note regarding a pending sequel to this story.

If I ever get around to making a sequel, it would be in the timeline of _Magic_, not necessarily following the same themes of the games.

I would also have to skip the third game in the series because I've never played it whereas I have beaten A New Beginning and The Eternal Night twice.

And with Malefor beaten in the Dawn of the Dragon game, I wouldn't know what challenges to put before Glaedr and the others. A new evil would have to arise to threaten the dragon race again. And I'm not sure what kind of evil character to throw into the story to little Glaedr would have to conquer.

So this is me asking you, the readers, to throw some ideas at me. The sequel (when I get around to writing it) will not just be _my _story, but it will be _ours_. If you have some really good ideas, please send them to me via message or, if you are anonymous, via review. Thanks for your help. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

-Dreamer of a Thousand Memories


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